Grange Park School

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The interim headteacher’s leadership is inspirational. She has worked tirelessly to secure rapid improvements and provide focused leadership for the school.  Teaching, learning and assessment have improved since the last inspection and are now securely good.  The partnership with Barnhill Trust is extremely effective and contributes extensively to the overall effectiveness of the school.  ‘Children are at the centre of all we do’ is the ethos of Grange Park Junior School; this contributes significantly to pupils’ well-being.  Governors know the school well. They have addressed the issues raised at the last inspection and are now fully involved in the monitoring of performance and in holding leaders to account.  Pupils are delightful; they are very proud of their school and of their learning.  Staff morale is high. They are wholly supportive of the changes to leadership that have taken place.  The local authority is a highly effective partner in

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The school’s approach to assessment without levels is not yet embedded. Pupils, and their parents, are not fully aware of how well they are doing and what more they can do to improve.  Pupils do not consistently make outstanding progress.  Teachers do not consistently provide pupils with opportunities to deepen their understanding of concepts and apply their skills across a variety of subjects.  A consistent style of handwriting has yet to be established in all year groups.  Not all teachers have high enough expectations for pupils’ presentation of work in books.

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What does the school need to do to improve further

 Strengthen outcomes for pupils further by: – consistently providing pupils with opportunities to deepen their knowledge and apply their skills across a variety of subjects – accelerating the rate at which leaders embed approaches to assessment without levels – ensuring parents are fully aware of the procedures for assessment, so they are better informed about how well their child is doing and how they can support at home – establishing a consistent handwriting style across the school that supports improved presentation of work.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The interim headteacher provides focused and determined leadership. She works unstintingly to ensure the outcomes for all pupils are the very best they can be. She, along with the deputy headteacher, have increased staff morale and created a school that is harmonious and purposeful. A long-standing staff member stated: ‘We are in the strongest position we’ve ever been in.’  Although subject leaders are new to post, they demonstrate good subject knowledge and an awareness of priorities for improvement. Their enthusiasm and commitment has already led to improvements to the quality of teaching in their subjects. .  Plans to improve the work of the school are precise in their identification of priorities and in the actions needed to achieve success. They support the rapid improvements to the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils since the previous inspection, evidenced by work seen in books.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Performance management procedures are in place. Targets are set for improving outcomes for pupils and are aligned to the national standards for teachers. All staff are provided with training opportunities, which are well received. Training is tailored to meet individual needs and contributes to the improvements seen in teaching since the last inspection and to the improving outcomes for pupils.  Additional funding for disadvantaged children is used well. It supports teachers to narrow gaps in outcomes between these and other pupils in the school. It provides additional small-group tuition and access to after-school clubs for eligible pupils.  The school's inclusive ethos permeates the life of the school and demonstrates its commitment to equality of opportunity.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is strong. It is supported by an effective curriculum and by excellent relationships that exist within the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Fundamental British values are embedded within the curriculum, through topics covered in assemblies, and in the programme for pupils’ personal and social education. It is evidenced by work displayed around school and in discussions with pupils. As such, pupils have a well-developed understanding of living in Britain and their contribution to it.  The design of the curriculum offers breadth and balance, with a focus upon improving pupil outcomes. Detailed curriculum maps inform parents of the areas of learning to be covered within each year group. However, leaders recognise that all pupils need to be consistently provided with opportunities to apply their skills across other subjects.  Parents are generally supportive of the school and those spoken to recognise the rapid improvements that have been made in a very short space of time. However, not all parents feel they are given sufficient information to know how they can fully help their child at home.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The local authority is a key strategic partner with the school. It was decisive in its intervention to stabilise the school during a difficult period. It continues to offer valuable support in securing the long-term future of the school.  Highly effective and widespread support from the Barnhill Trust is instrumental in securing the rapid improvements to the quality of teaching and learning and the outcomes for all pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school – An external review of governance, supported by a highly effective consultant, has led to significant and substantial improvement in the undertaking of governors’ statutory duties. They are now fully compliant and able to undertake their statutory duties with confidence and clarity. – Governors know their school well, are ambitious for its future and are proud of the rapid improvements they have made at Grange Park Junior School. – Governors have undertaken a skills audit to ensure any new members appointed to the governing body have the skills required to meet their needs. They have actively sought members from a range of professions. – Governors know what additional monies the school receives for both disadvantaged pupils and for improving the core offer for physical education and sport. They know precisely how it is spent and the rationale for spending. – Governors ensure that pupils are kept safe by the thorough implementation of policies and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

procedures. They ensure essential safeguarding training and procedures are in place. – Minutes of the governing body meetings are detailed and evidence the increased challenge now given to the headteacher about the performance of pupils in school and the quality of teaching. – Governors have established an improvement task group to scrutinise and evaluate plans for improvement to ensure no time is wasted. They meet monthly and are supported by representatives from the local authority and the Barnhill Trust. – Governors have ensured that performance management procedures are in place.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Systems ensure pupils in the school are kept safe and that staff are well trained.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now securely good. Pupils in all classes are keen to talk about their learning and are proud of their successes. Relationships are strong, reflecting the purposeful atmosphere throughout the school.  Teachers’ planning is consistent across year groups and ensures all pupils have equality of opportunity. It identifies differentiated activities to address the learning needs and abilities of all pupils.  Teachers use questions well to reinforce learning and clarify misconceptions. The most effective questioning is used to make pupils think about their learning and deepen their understanding of the subjects they are studying. This is an improvement since the school was last inspected.  All teachers consistently follow the agreed policy for marking pupils’ work. It is undertaken regularly and evidence from work scrutiny demonstrates the increased sophistication with which prompts for

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

improvement are given to pupils. This is impacting positively upon subsequent work.  Homework is given weekly and makes links with learning undertaken in school. All pupils are expected to complete daily reading at home and teachers maintain a record of this. Any pupil unable to do this is supported in school with individual reading opportunities. A homework club runs each week to support pupils in completing their tasks. An invitation is extended to parents to work alongside their children at the club.  Teaching assistants are deployed well across the school. They offer timely support to meet the needs of pupils within lessons and deliver a range of additional classes to support those pupils requiring additional support to good effect.  Displays across the school celebrate the work completed by pupils and reflect the diversity of the school community. All teachers use classroom displays well to support pupils to work independently.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The teaching of writing has strengthened. Quality texts are used as stimuli for writing with increasing opportunities to write across other curriculum areas. Pupils are encouraged to edit and proofread their work to refine and improve its quality. This accounts for the better outcomes seen in the end of key stage tests. However, the lack of a consistent handwriting style in school impacts upon the quality of presentation seen in books.  The teaching of mathematics is strengthening. Teachers recognise that pupils do not always choose the most efficient method when calculating and are refining the school’s policy and practice to address this. Opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills across a range of subjects are not consistent.  Leaders have rightly focused upon improving the quality of teaching of reading. Sessions are effectively timetabled and structured to develop and extend pupils’ comprehension skills. In addition, pupils have

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

individual reading books which they are required to read daily. Checks are made to ensure any child who is not heard to read at home receives time to read in school.  The library encourages pupils to explore reading across subjects. A self-assessment reading wheel encourages older pupils to try reading books from different genres.  Pupils talk about their love of reading; they speak confidently about authors and give reason for their enjoyment of texts. In discussion, all pupils felt their reading had improved as a result of the help teachers give them.  The school’s approach to assessment without levels is in place and is being embedded within all classes. Leaders acknowledge this process needs to be accelerated so that all pupils and their parents are fully aware of what more needs to be done to reach the age-related expectations for their year group.  From work analysed and from lessons observed, emphasis has been placed upon writing across the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

curriculum at the expense of opportunities for pupils to deepen their knowledge, and apply and refine their subject-specific skills.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils overwhelmingly say that they feel safe and happy in school.  Pupils have a good understanding of bullying and its forms. They know how important it is to tell and feel confident in the staff of the school. One pupil stated: ‘It’s a good school, we don’t have any bullies.’ They are less confident in how to keep themselves safe from all forms of online bullying and coercion.  The school council enables pupils to be involved in the life of the school and in making charitable donations. They have been actively involved in doubling the monies raised for development of the school garden.  When asked, the majority of pupils knew the importance of exercise and eating healthily. They were thrilled by the additional opportunities they now have to access after-school sports clubs and the increased resources they can access at playtimes.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils demonstrate consistently good attitudes to learning. They are proud of their school and supportive of each other.  Pupils respect the new behaviour system that has been introduced and speak confidently about how much better it now is in school.  Movement around the school is orderly and smooth, which means no time is wasted for pupils to be ready for learning.  The quality of presentation in pupils’ books across the school is variable; this detracts from the quality of study undertaken.  Attendance is improving and is currently above average. Systems to monitor the absence of pupils are strengthening and a detailed review of attendance of groups is supporting this improvement. Links with external agencies to support pupils in coming to school are established and used effectively.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Outcomes for pupils have strengthened since the last inspection and are broadly in line with outcomes nationally.  From their starting points, the expected and more than expected progress of pupils in writing and mathematics compares favourably with national assessment information. Progress in reading has been less secure and in 2015 was significantly below national outcomes for most pupils.  Leaders have rightly focused upon strengthening progress rates in reading. Based upon assessment information held in school, this downward trend has been halted. Outcomes for pupils currently in the school would indicate that there is already improvement in progress in reading for this school year, with progress in writing and mathematics maintained.  Pupils heard to read demonstrated a love of reading and confidence in articulating preference.  The most-able pupils are well catered for. Work prepared for them is increasingly demanding and requires

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Outcomes for pupils are good

them to think. Pupils with prior higher attainment are on track to make no less than expected progress, with more pupils making better than expected progress compared with 2015.  Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are at least in line with other pupils and gaps in all subjects have narrowed.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, together with lower-attaining pupils, are well supported by staff. They receive appropriate targets for improvement and work is well matched to their needs to help them achieve them. A raft of additional support is in place to enable pupils to reach their targets.

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School details

Unique reference number 102432 Local authority Hillingdon Inspection number 10009179

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Junior School category Foundation Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 388 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joyce Wickham Headteacher Rachel Inniss Telephone number 020 8573 3638 Website www.grangeparkjuniorschool.co.uk Email address grangepkjun@hillingdongrid.org Date of previous inspection 27–28 March 2014

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Information about this school

 Grange Park Junior School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for extra funding through the pupil premium is well above the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below the national average.  Since the beginning of the academic year, the headteacher, deputy headteacher, business manager and Chair of the Governing Body have all left the school. An interim headteacher and new Chair of the

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Information about this school

Governing Body have been in post since November 2015.  Barnhill Trust is providing partnership support to the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed pupils’ learning in 24 lessons and part lessons, several of which were joint observations with the senior leaders of the school.  In addition, the inspection team looked at examples of pupils’ work and listened to pupils read.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils, the interim headteacher, senior leaders, members of the governing body, and representatives of the local authority and Barnhill Trust.  The inspection team took account of seven responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, in addition to the school’s own consultation outcomes and discussions with parents.  The inspection team examined the school’s own information on pupils’ recent and current progress; the school’s evaluation of how well it is doing and its records of monitoring the quality of teaching; records relating to behaviour and attendance; and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Diane Buckle, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Denise James-Mason Ofsted Inspector Mobolade Soneye Thomas Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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