Grange Primary School

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

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Mr Graham Beeden Headteacher Grange Primary School Church Gardens Ealing London W5 4HN

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Short inspection of Grange Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 27 March 2018 with Neil Harvey, Ofsted Inspector, 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 February 2014.

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Short inspection of Grange Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Grange Primary School

You and your leadership team are united in tackling identified areas needing improvement. You have a joined-up approach to monitoring the work of the school, taking into account the views of leaders at all levels. As a result, your evaluations of the school are accurate and you identify appropriate priorities for improvement. You are supported by a strong team of middle leaders who drive improvements enthusiastically in their respective areas. They complement your work and that of your senior leaders and contribute to school improvement.

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Short inspection of Grange Primary School

You acted on the recommendations from the previous inspection. Senior leaders now make use of assessment information to ensure that teaching matches the needs of your pupils. You have also created a leadership structure which provides prompt and direct support to teachers. This has ensured that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school remains strong. As a result, pupils’ performance in end of key stage assessments has been in line with, and in some instances above, national averages. However, disadvantaged pupils are not routinely stretched and challenged to achieve higher standards in mathematics by the end of key stage 1.

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Short inspection of Grange Primary School

Pupils behave well, in and outside lessons. They are welcoming, well-mannered and polite. Their behaviour contributes positively to learning. They are confident and articulate. You have made sure that pupils respect and value the diverse cultures and backgrounds of the school community. One parent commented typically: ‘Children of all language groups thrive together at this school and it is a haven of safety and tolerance in a socially and culturally-complex community.’

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Short inspection of Grange Primary School

The governors have an accurate picture of the school’s effectiveness. They are confident in asking challenging questions about what the school could do better. They work closely with you and other leaders and have good systems in place to compare the school’s performance against that of other schools nationally. They use this information to deploy resources effectively.

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Short inspection of Grange Primary School

The leadership team has ensured that safeguarding procedures are robust and fit for purpose. Records are of high quality and sufficiently detailed. Leaders ensure that information is shared with parents, carers and appropriate authorities promptly and effectively to ensure pupils’ safety. Governors take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. They attend training regularly to make sure that they understand the latest statutory guidance. Governors who have responsibility for safeguarding ensure that checks on the suitability of staff meet requirements. Staff are well trained, vigilant and follow the school’s internal procedures should they need to raise any concerns.

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Short inspection of Grange Primary School

Pupils are taught about how to stay safe online. Pupils understand the dangers associated with internet use, and report concerns to staff. Through the curriculum, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe at home, at school or online. Pupils said that they feel safe at school. They said that they know where to go if they have any concerns. They talked to me about the ‘Grange Space’, where they can write about any worries they may have. They felt that adults are always willing and able to support them whenever the need arises.

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Inspection findings

 For the first line of enquiry, we agreed to look at pupils’ achievement in reading, particularly that of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. For the last two years, pupils’ progress in reading at the end of key stage 2 was close to or above the national average. However, a much lower proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieved at higher standards than other pupils nationally. Recently, you have put in place effective actions to improve pupils’ ability to understand and evaluate texts at a deeper level.  Through detailed planning, teachers provide a wide range of opportunities for pupils to acquire the skills needed to become fluent readers. For example, in Year 3, pupils are taught how to ‘skim and scan’ a passage from a text to gather the information needed to answer comprehension questions.  In all year groups, disadvantaged pupils are reading at standards appropriate for their age. They display a genuine pleasure when reading. Records show that they

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Inspection findings

read at home regularly. When reading with teachers, either individually or as a group, disadvantaged pupils are stretched and challenged to achieve higher standards. This results in pupils being confident, fluent and expressive readers. Current assessment information shows that more disadvantaged pupils in key stage 2 make strong progress to achieve higher standards in reading.  We also agreed to look at how well disadvantaged pupils are supported in key stage 1. This was because, in 2017, the proportion of pupils who achieved at greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics was lower than the national average.  We found that work in books shows that the teaching of reading in key stage 1 is effective. Pupils use a range of ways to work out difficult and unfamiliar words. When reading to an adult, they use appropriate expression and they demonstrate fluency. In lessons, class teachers use questioning effectively to develop pupils’

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Inspection findings

comprehension skills. Pupils talk confidently about strategies which help them to understand what they are reading. Current assessment information shows that more disadvantaged pupils make strong progress to achieve higher standards in reading.  The teaching of writing in key stage 1 is a strength. Pupils receive plenty of opportunities to develop spelling and grammar skills. Work in books shows that they use these skills effectively when writing. We looked at the standard of writing produced by disadvantaged pupils. We found that, over time, they make strong progress, producing longer pieces of writing. They use skills which show they are exceeding expected standards in writing.  In key stage 1 mathematics, pupils regularly practise and consolidate arithmetic skills which enable them to achieve mastery. They show a good understanding of numbers and calculations. Teachers regularly check their understanding of

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Inspection findings

mathematical concepts. Pupils are beginning to talk about how they work out number and word problems. However, disadvantaged pupils in key stage 1 are not stretched or challenged enough to achieve at greater depth in mathematics.  Finally, we considered the breadth of the wider curriculum. Pupils talked enthusiastically about the variety of learning experiences that they receive through the school’s broad and balanced curriculum. Teachers ensure that history, geography and other subjects are embedded into topic work, and this provides a curriculum that is interesting and engages pupils in learning.  Pupils’ achievement in the wider curriculum is strong. In science, pupils in all year groups are encouraged to explore the world around them and to develop their scientific knowledge. Teachers develop pupils’ investigative skills as they move up the school. By the time pupils get to Year 6, they develop their own methods for

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Inspection findings

investigations. They test their predictions and arrive at scientific conclusions using these methods.  Pupils’ high-quality artwork is celebrated through displays along the corridors. Pupils develop their art skills through using different materials, art forms and approaches.  Senior leaders use the sports premium to enhance pupils’ participation in competitive sports. Governors report that the number of borough-wide sports competitions attended by the school has increased considerably. They expressed their commitment to using this funding to ensure that pupils benefit from an enriched physical education curriculum.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 disadvantaged pupils in key stage 1 are stretched and challenged so that a higher proportion of them achieve the greater depth standard in mathematics.

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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 Ealing. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During this short inspection, we discussed the work of the school with you and with members of the senior leadership team. We also considered 159 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, as well as the pupil survey and the staff survey. We spoke to a number of pupils to discuss their experiences in lessons, the extent to which they feel safe, and also their views on learning and behaviour in general. We held discussions with a representative of the local authority. We met with members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. We also considered documentation provided by the school and information posted on the school’s website. We looked at the single central record, and the school’s analysis of pupils’ attendance. Together with school leaders, we visited classes to observe learning and I looked at samples of pupils’ work across all subjects. We listened to pupils reading from across the ability range.

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