Greenvale Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Daniel Bowden Headteacher Greenvale Primary School Sandpiper Road Selsdon Vale South Croydon Surrey CR2 8PR

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Short inspection of Greenvale Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 19 April 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in July 2013.

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Short inspection of Greenvale Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You set high expectations of pupils and staff and have established a whole-school commitment from them of always doing their best. Your vision of a caring ethos is realised and is based around your values of respect, honesty, sharing, cooperation, inspiration and determination. These values have a very positive influence on behaviour and learning across the school. You ensure that the school works in partnership with parents and carers, enabling them to become confidently involved in their child’s education. Parents recognise your commitment and hard work.

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Short inspection of Greenvale Primary School

This is a school where pupils’ progress and personal development are important. You track pupils’ progress effectively and identify underachievement quickly. The vast majority of pupils at the school make good progress because staff check that pupils understand their learning; if not, staff do something about it. Pupils appreciate the feedback they receive from their teacher and it contributes strongly to speeding up progress.

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Short inspection of Greenvale Primary School

Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are polite and sensible in class. They play cooperatively on the playground. The responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, indicate that parents overwhelmingly appreciate the good behaviour in the school. Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school and are well supported in lessons. One pupil told me that there is very little bullying because children look after each other. Pupils also said that they can always find an adult who will listen and help them to deal with any problems.

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Short inspection of Greenvale Primary School

At the time of your school’s last inspection, the report noted many strengths, including the good quality of teaching and the high expectations of the staff. It praised the respectful and courteous way that pupils treated adults. It identified a need to improve the use of performance information to ensure that teaching is matched to the individual needs of pupils. It also recommended that the quality of teaching in mathematics should improve to ensure that all pupils make rapid and sustained progress. Performance information is now accurate and is used well to target pupils’ needs. The teaching of mathematics has improved since the appointment of the new subject leader.

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Short inspection of Greenvale Primary School

You have identified clear priorities for the next stage of enhancement and are taking the right steps to achieve them through your school improvement plan. You know that standards in phonics will improve if teaching is better. You are fully aware that progress in key stage 2, for the most able in mathematics, will only improve if pupils are challenged in their learning. You are working with leaders in the school to address these issues.

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Short inspection of Greenvale Primary School

Pupils feel safe at the school and parents are satisfied with how you care for their children. Pupils are mature in their understanding of how to keep safe and can talk about it confidently.

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Short inspection of Greenvale Primary School

Staff receive regular and relevant training about safeguarding; policies and processes are well understood and staff have a full understanding of how to raise a concern. Any necessary actions are taken without delay and are followed up in a diligent manner. Staff receive training about keeping pupils safe from the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. The school works in partnership with external organisations. School leaders and governors have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are up to date.

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Inspection findings

 During the inspection, I looked at: the quality of phonics teaching, the quality of teaching, progress and the curriculum in reading and writing for boys in Reception, the progress of the most able pupils in mathematics at key stage 2 and the progress of disadvantaged pupils.  The quality of phonics teaching has improved significantly. Staff have received comprehensive training and there is a new subject leader. Standards have risen sharply and this is reflected in the way pupils are using letter sounds in their reading and writing, as well as the effectiveness of teaching observed during the inspection.  Progress in mathematics between key stages 1 and 2 for the most able was a weakness last year. Progress this year has improved and this is evidenced through lesson observations, the progress over time in pupils’ books and the current information about pupils’ progress in mathematics.  The majority of disadvantaged pupils are making good progress. There are no

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Inspection findings

significant differences between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and that of others. The commitment of school leadership to disadvantaged pupils is having a positive impact on their good progress. The governing body is diligent in its consideration of this group at each meeting.  Boys in Reception are not reaching high enough standards in reading and writing. There is evidence of some improvement, including a review of the curriculum, but this has not yet affected outcomes.

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Next steps for the school

 Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that the standard of reading and writing for boys in Reception rapidly improves.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Croydon. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you and other leaders. I spoke with teachers, pupils, governors and a representative of the local authority. I visited six lessons with members of the senior leadership team and scrutinised a wide range of pupils’ work. I heard pupils read and met members of the school council. I took account of 15 responses to the staff survey, 61 responses to the pupil survey and 63 responses and comments by parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. I met with parents on the playground at the start of the day. I observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime and around the school. I analysed a range of school documentation, including your school’s self-evaluation and plans for improvement, information about pupils’ achievement and details of safeguarding checks, policies and procedures.

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