Greenfields Community Primary School

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

p.1

Mr Daniel Andrews Headteacher Greenfields Community Primary School Oxford Road Shepway Maidstone Kent ME15 8DF

p.1

Short inspection of Greenfields Community Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 22 May 2018, 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 May 2014.

p.1

Short inspection of Greenfields Community Primary School

Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I am of the opinion that the school has demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in specific areas. This may indicate that the school has improved significantly overall. Therefore, I am recommending that the school’s next inspection be a full section 5 inspection.

p.1

Short inspection of Greenfields Community Primary School

This is a school in which aspirations for pupils are sky high. Under your dynamic and purposeful leadership, decisions are made that are focused sharply on what pupils need in order to enjoy a rich and fulfilling educational experience. Your vision for the school underpins everything you do. Other leaders, including governors, share this vision. They in turn then drive forward their own areas of responsibility with passion and determination, while understanding how everything fits together. Staff, parents and carers, and pupils are fully behind you and your team, in whom they display trust and confidence. As a result, the school continues to go from strength to strength.

p.1

Short inspection of Greenfields Community Primary School

Pupils love their school. They value the help they get from their teachers, who take the time to ‘really explain things’. Pupils reported that, ‘Teachers expect good things from us – standards are high and we always achieve them. Sometimes things are hard, but you need to be resilient.’ Pupils relish the experience days, trips, sports and exciting learning and playing environments, especially the new play equipment. Care is taken to get to know pupils well and to support them in every aspect of their lives, both in and out of school. Pupils know that their voice is important and that they are listened to if they have worries. Consequently, they flourish and develop as confident, well-rounded individuals ready to take on the next stage of their education.

p.1

Short inspection of Greenfields Community Primary School

Parents are key partners. Governors and school leaders know how important cementing this partnership is, commenting that, ‘It has taken a long time to bring parents and the community together.’ The proactive and effective team has ensured that the partnership between home and school is now thriving. Everyone is unified in wanting the best for the pupils, who are rightly at the very heart of this community school. This sense of togetherness is palpable in every aspect of school life.

p.2

Short inspection of Greenfields Community Primary School

You have maintained and developed the areas of strength identified in the last inspection. Standards and expectations are high and improving. Highly effective professional development opportunities ensure that teachers share and build on each other’s strengths. Leaders’ effective actions have developed a range of areas, including pupils’ spelling, the development of their mathematical reasoning skills and their independence to support learning. All these aspects come together to ensure that most pupils attain well across the curriculum. You acknowledge, however, that in some year groups and subjects across the school, the achievement of the most able disadvantaged pupils does not match that of other pupils.

p.2

Short inspection of Greenfields Community Primary School

You have taken effective action to address the improvement areas from the last inspection. During the inspection, pupils were working confidently in mathematics, articulating their reasoning. They were writing at length competently using a range of sentence starters and wide vocabulary, and organising their ideas into paragraphs. Work in pupils’ books shows that this approach is embedded across the school and underpinned by a rich and exciting curriculum that engages pupils well. Pupils told me how much they enjoy using the computer applications designed to improve spelling and mathematical skills. They design appealing presentations to share their learning about topics such as the Stone Age.

p.2

Short inspection of Greenfields Community Primary School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. The school’s safeguarding policy adheres to the latest government guidance. All appropriate checks are completed concerning the appointment of staff. Staff receive regular training and are aware of what to do if they have worries about a pupil. All the staff who completed the Ofsted survey felt that pupils were safe at school. Concerns are reported, recorded and acted on in a timely fashion. Governors complete regular checks to ensure that everything is as it should be.

p.2

Short inspection of Greenfields Community Primary School

Almost all the parents who completed the Ofsted survey, Parent View, felt that their children were safe and well cared for at school. Parents who need a little extra support for their families from time to time were appreciative of the myriad of ways in which this is provided. Pupils are taught to help keep themselves safe during the regular ‘danger days’. Pupils told me they had practised a range of safety drills and demonstrated a knowledge of how to keep themselves safe, including online.

p.2

Inspection findings

 During this inspection, we looked closely at specific aspects of the school’s provision, including the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements, attendance, children’s achievement in writing in early years, girls’ progress in mathematics in key stage 2, and the achievement of the most able pupils, particularly the most able boys, in reading and writing.  We looked together at the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school. While historically this has been above that seen nationally, the latest information shows that this is now in line with national figures. The community and outreach teams work effectively to involve parents in their child’s education and to help them understand the importance of regular school attendance, and provide individualised support when needed. As a result, more pupils are attending school regularly.  In 2017, the proportion of children attaining and exceeding a good level of

p.3

Inspection findings

development dipped slightly to below that seen nationally. Currently, children are making strong progress from their starting points across early years. Stimulating learning environments and highly skilled staff ensure that children make connections across their learning. Children enjoy learning and playing together through well-planned activities. Every opportunity to encourage children to write and record is grasped and work is often extended. As a result, children get off to a good start with their writing and are well prepared for Year 1.  At the end of key stage 2 in 2017, girls did not make as much progress in mathematics as boys from their similar starting points. More girls, however, attained the expected standard for their age than is typical nationally. In the lessons that we visited and in pupils’ work, girls showed that they are confident and competent mathematicians. As a result of well-developed mathematical

p.3

Inspection findings

reasoning and strong number skills, girls are making accelerated progress from their starting points across key stage 2.  In writing, both at the end of key stage 1 and in the key stage 2 national assessments in 2017, fewer boys attained higher standards than those seen nationally. School information shows that boys are making faster progress from their starting points this year and the proportion of boys writing at the higher levels is increasing. Nevertheless, in some year groups, disadvantaged pupils are not attaining as well at higher levels as other pupils. Work in pupils’ books shows systematic use of paragraphs, correct tenses and improved spelling. Boys say that they enjoy writing for a range of purposes, including poetry and factual writing.  We also looked at how well the most able boys’ reading skills are developed throughout key stage 2. In the 2017 national assessments at the end of key

p.3

Inspection findings

stage 2, a lower proportion of boys attained the higher standards than nationally. Boys who read to me did so fluently and with understanding. They enthusiastically listed authors whose books they like reading. They told me how much they enjoy the newly introduced online comprehension activities. School information shows that the most able boys are making strong progress from their starting points and the proportion attaining higher standards is increasing.

p.3

Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

p.4

Next steps for the school

 disadvantaged pupils’ progress, particularly that of the most able, continues to accelerate through more effectively refined use of the pupil premium funding.

p.4

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

p.4

Information about the inspection

I met with you, members of the governing body, staff and a representative from the local authority. I reviewed documentation, including information about pupils’ achievement, the school improvement plan, safeguarding checks, policies and procedures. Together, we visited classes across the school. In classes, I observed learning, looked at books and spoke to pupils about their work. I met with pupils to get their views of the school and to hear them read. I took account of parents’ views in the playground in the morning, and considered 46 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 46 free-text responses. I also considered 41 responses to the staff questionnaire.

p.4