Grazeley Parochial Church of England Aided Primary School

Inspection of good school: Grazeley Parochial Church of England Aided Primary School Mereoak Lane, Grazeley, Reading, Berkshire RG7 1JY

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Outcome

Grazeley Parochial Church of England Aided Primary School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like this growing school. They know that adults want them to be happy, try new things and do well. However, teaching does not always meet their needs as well as it should. Pupils feel that it is a fair school and that they all have a chance to participate in activities such as sports. They feel that it is ok to make mistakes as they learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well most of the time. They work hard and follow teachers’ instructions. Pupils are quick to be quiet when asked to listen in lessons and assembly. They are polite and well behaved when moving around the school with adults. Sometimes pupils are not as well behaved in the dinner hall, where there is some running, for example.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel well protected from bullying. They are confident that adults sort out any issues quickly and effectively. Outside at playtime pupils play well together. Everyone who wants to be part of games, such as football, is happily included.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told us that they enjoy lessons. Mathematics is the favourite subject for many. Pupils are excited by opportunities they have to be part of the life of the school through, for instance, helping in the library.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Since the school has grown from mixed-year classes to single-year classes, the curriculum is being replanned. This is happening term by term and is in the very early stages. Subject plans have not been reviewed or completed. This means that learning does not build well for pupils. For example, pupils who had learned about fossils in Year 3 were not using this knowledge in their study of coastlines in Year 6. 17–18 September 2019

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Sometimes teaching plans are not clear and do not match well to what pupils need to know. When this happens, time in lessons is not productive and does not help pupils to know more or remember more.

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Mathematics is taught well. Teachers plan lessons which build mathematical knowledge, using a helpfully consistent approach across the school. Pupils have good knowledge of numbers and their times tables. Teachers help them to use these in lots of different ways to solve problems and explain their thinking. Pupils are confident and enjoy mathematics.

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Pupils demonstrate a love of reading. They are able to discuss authors they enjoy. Teachers make sure that they have a rich reading diet. They introduce pupils to a wide range of poetry and read them stories which they find exciting and thought provoking. However, leaders do not pay close attention to the teaching of reading. They do not check this aspect of the school’s provision closely enough. This means that teachers do not get the feedback and advice they need to make sure that their lessons are of the very highest quality.

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Younger pupils do not learn their phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) quickly enough. They get off to a slow start. This means too many need to catch up as they move up through the school. Leaders have provided staff with training to teach phonics, but some staff are still growing in confidence as they take on teaching groups.

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Adults understand the difficulties faced by the pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in their classes. The plans that are in place to support these pupils are put together carefully and match pupils’ needs well.

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The school aims to help pupils become confident well-rounded citizens. Pupils enjoy plenty of opportunities to perform and to develop speaking skills. As a result, pupils contribute their thoughts and ideas clearly and articulately.

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Children are safe and happy in early years. Staff ensure that children have plenty of opportunities to learn early number skills and begin to write. Children enjoy rhymes and stories, but they do not learn their phonics quickly. This means that the books they use to learn to read are not matched closely to the sounds that they know, undermining children’s progress.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained in how to spot the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. They know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil. All staff keep a careful eye on pupils they know to be vulnerable to make sure that they are safe and happy.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have recently reviewed the system for reported concerns. They are further improving processes so that a wider range of information is kept together. They use the information they have well to assess when to involve other agencies and take the steps 17–18 September 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not yet fully formed. Leaders need to ensure that careful planning across all subjects enables pupils to build on their prior learning, within lessons and over time.  Subject leaders do not monitor closely the provision in their subjects, or use this information to inform plans for development. Leaders need to ensure that subject leaders further develop their skills in supporting and challenging teachers so that agreed approaches to learning are delivered consistently well.  The teaching of reading should be prioritised by the school. Leaders need to ensure that the planning and teaching of reading closely matches pupils’ needs. Children do not get off to a prompt start in learning their phonics. Leaders need to monitor the teaching of phonics to ensure that teachers are skilled and confident and that pupils acquire these early reading skills rapidly. In the early years, children should experience

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

success in early reading by having books that are matched to their phonetic ability. Those pupils who struggle to keep up or fall behind should have teaching that tackles their misconceptions and helps them to catch up swiftly.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 12–13 May 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 17–18 September 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 17–18 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111312 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 March 2016

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Information about this school

 The school has been going through a period of expansion. This has resulted in a gradual move to single year-group classes, which is now completed.  The previous deputy headteacher recently left the school to take up a headship. A new deputy headteacher has been appointed, who will take up their post in January 2020.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, leaders, staff, and representatives from the local authority and governing body.  The inspector looked closely at the provision for reading, mathematics and geography across the school. She visited a range of lessons and looked at learning plans. The inspectors spoke to pupils and staff about pupils’ learning and looked at pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke to pupils, parents and staff about the school’s work to keep pupils safe. Records and documentation were considered along with the school’s single central record. 17–18 September 2019

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Inspection team

Deborah Gordon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 17–18 September 2019

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