Setting

Loretta Sheppard Headteacher Glade Hill Primary School Chippenham Road Bestwood Park Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG5 5TA

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No formal designation monitoring inspection of Glade Hill Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 15 January 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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No formal designation monitoring inspection of Glade Hill Primary School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for inspecting schools with no formal designation. The inspection was carried out because Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector was concerned about the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements at the school.

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Evidence

I scrutinised the single central record and other documents relating to safeguarding and child protection arrangements, and met with you and other senior leaders and the Chair of the Governing Body, who is also the link governor for safeguarding. I reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s safeguarding policy and other policies relating to behaviour and safety, risk assessments, and the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans. I observed pupils in lessons in Key Stage 1, and considered their behaviour and safety in a range of situations, including at break and lunchtime and at the end of the school day. I spoke with a group of Year 1 pupils formally, and with others in lesson times, on the playground and in the dining hall. I visited the rewards assembly, and spoke with a few parents who came to collect their children at the end of the school day. I also spoke with one of the

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Evidence

directors of education from Nottingham local authority. Ofsted

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Evidence

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Evidence

The school’s safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.

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Context

The school is an average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is in line with the national average, as is the proportion with English as an additional language. The school has an above-average proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium (which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those in local authority care). The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported through school action is above average; there are very few pupils with an education, health and care plan. All classes are single age. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics. The school has an average proportion of in-year admissions, but a stable staff.

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Main findings

You and senior leaders maintain a vigilant approach to all aspects of the school’s safeguarding arrangements. You know pupils and their families well, and keep a close and personal eye on the attendance and well-being of pupils who may be vulnerable, visiting each class in the morning to check on them. You and other leaders are well trained in safeguarding. You have ensured that training for all staff is up to date, and maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned. Consequently, staff are very confident of how to spot, record and report safeguarding concerns, and there is a strong culture of vigilance in the school. For example, teachers keep their own log of minor concerns so that these can be monitored and reviewed. They fully understand their statutory duties relating to safeguarding, including with regard to female genital mutilation. All staff have been trained in relation to radicalisation and extremism, and understand the signs that

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Main findings

Records are detailed and accurate. There are clear protocols in place for sharing information within school and with other professionals and these are rigorously adhered to. Leaders are tenacious in alerting the relevant bodies, including Ofsted, to concerns and in following up concerns when referrals have been made to the local authority. Governors monitor this aspect of the school’s work well. The Chair of the Governing Body has a background in social care and uses this expertise to ensure that school practices and procedures are as safe as they can be. For example following a recent safeguarding concern, leaders instigated weekly equipment checks to ensure that the risk of injury is minimised . Attendance is monitored rigorously. The attendance officer and family support worker are effective in supporting leaders in this role. Where necessary they carry out home visits to ensure that pupils are safe and to resolve any issues so that they

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Main findings

are able to come to school. These actions are resulting in improved attendance of all pupils, including those who are supported by the pupil premium. The proportion who are persistently absent from school is steadily reducing, and is below the national average.

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Main findings

There are clear and safe procedures in place for ensuring that pupils enter and leave the school site safely. You have implemented a number of initiatives to improve the safety of the school site. While these have not always been popular with parents, they have been effective in ensuring that children enter and leave the school site safely.

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Main findings

The school is a calm, welcoming environment. The positive, friendly ethos is immediately apparent to visitors. Pupils behave very well, both in lesson time and at break and lunchtimes. They enjoy reciting the school motto: ‘We are golden and we sparkle!’ They know what each of these letters stands for (self-motivated, polite, ambitious, resilient, kind and caring learners and enthusiastic) and do their best to live up to these values. During the celebration assembly, they took pride in nominating their classmates for special awards. In the early years, these values are shown through television characters who embody them. Consequently, all pupils understand the importance of following the school rules and ‘being golden’ to ensure their safety. They are helpful and kind to one another. They know how to stay safe in a range of situations, because this teaching is constantly reinforced through the school’s behaviour policy. Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently well, ensuring

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Main findings

Pupils show considerable pride in their school. They are smart and look after their things well. They know they are valued and well-cared-for because these messages are constantly reinforced through the rewards policy, the programme for personal, health, social and moral education, and assemblies. The school’s ethos promotes a sense of pride and belonging and gives pupils the resilience and confidence to make safe judgements for themselves. They have a strong sense of right and wrong, and this too helps to keep them safe. They know that name-calling is wrong, for example, because it would make people feel left out. Pupil leaders and peer mediators ensure that younger pupils are safe and well-looked-after on the playground, and provide a listening ear when needed. The ‘friendship table’ in the playground provides a visible spot that pupils can go to if they are feeling lonely, sad or just need someone to talk to. Pupils I spoke with told me that ‘everyone looks

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Main findings

after each other here’ and their teachers and teaching assistants ‘always help us and listen to us’.

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Main findings

You have put in additional measures to ensure the safety of children in the early years, including increasing the staff to pupil ratio. You have created different zones to make clear what children should be doing in different areas and how they should be supervised. When I visited the area, children were playing and learning safely and were well-looked-after by staff. Children knew which areas they were not allowed to go in, and followed these rules well.

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Main findings

Risk assessments are thorough. In addition to the standard risk assessments for trips, you have carried out additional assessments on the use of play equipment, the early years area, the breakfast club and a number of other aspects of the school’s work. Parents I spoke with have full confidence in the school’s safeguarding arrangements.

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External support

You are a member of a local safeguarding network that has been put in place by the local authority and attend briefing and training sessions run by advanced designated safeguarding leads. This ensures that you are kept up to date with any changes in the legislation, and that you and other leaders are well supported in this aspect of your work. The director of education with whom I spoke has full confidence in your commitment to ensuring that pupils are safe, and your ability to do so.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Director of Children’s Services for Nottingham, the Secretary of State for Education and the Chair of the Governing Body. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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