Greens Norton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Greens Norton Church of England Primary School Calvert Road, Greens Norton, Towcester, Northamptonshire NN12 8DD

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Outcome

Greens Norton Church of England 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 enjoy coming to the school. They like trying new things such as ‘Friday University’, residential visits, learning to play musical instruments and competitive sports. The school’s values help pupils to know the difference between right and wrong. Pupils are polite as they move around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe in the school and that bullying is rare. If it does happen, adults deal with it quickly. Parents and carers agree. Pupils appreciate the responsibility of becoming school councillors, sports ambassadors or librarians. They enjoy helping with the smooth running of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They enjoy lessons that challenge them but, on occasion, they find the work too easy. When teachers’ expectations are high, pupils work hard and do as they are asked.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can learn in reading and mathematics. The work that pupils complete is often not demanding enough. Pupils are capable of achieving more in these subjects.

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

Leaders have made a promising start to revising the curriculum. The subject plans they are developing, for example in science, set out what pupils must learn. This is to help pupils to build on what they already know. However, leaders have not thought about the key knowledge that pupils should learn and when they should learn it for all subjects. Some teachers require further training and support to develop an ambitious curriculum.

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

Leaders and teachers have nurtured a love of reading in most pupils. Pupils enjoy the books adults read regularly to them. However, leaders have not ensured that phonics is 14–15 January 2020

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taught consistently to all pupils at an early stage of learning to read. Staff have not benefited from effective phonics training. In some cases, the books that pupils are given to read are not matched to the sounds that pupils know. Some pupils do not get enough opportunity to talk about their reading books. Leaders have not addressed these weaknesses with enough urgency. In recent years, not as many pupils have reached the expected standard in reading.

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Leaders have not ensured that the mathematics curriculum is well planned. Teachers do not ensure that pupils’ mathematical knowledge and skills are built up step by step over time. Some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Teachers do not check pupils’ understanding before building on what they should have learned and moving on to new content. Leaders do not ensure that those pupils who fall behind in their learning are supported to catch up quickly.

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Teachers plan learning that meets the needs of children in their early years and follows their interests. Clear routines have helped children to know what is expected of them. They get on well with each other. The teaching of early reading is a high priority in the Reception class. The teacher has identified some areas of the provision that can be improved even further. She has begun to make useful changes.

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Leaders provide pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) with effective support. This is a strength of the school. Pupils’ needs are identified early and accurately. Pupils with SEND receive appropriate specialist support.

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Pupils are knowledgeable about different faiths and cultures. Teachers help them to develop respectful attitudes. Pupils are polite. Leaders provide pupils with opportunities to be active, confident and healthy members of society. Pupils contribute to the community and raise funds for charities. Pupils learn about British values through the curriculum and by taking on roles of responsibility within the school. They enjoy assemblies, when they can think about, and comment on, local and world issues.

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Behaviour in and around the school is good. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ conduct. They manage the behaviour of pupils well.

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Trustees and trust officers are supporting senior leaders and governors to improve the school. Leaders work closely with local schools within and beyond the trust, for example to develop subject areas and share ideas. Teachers value the leadership that the headteacher provides. They appreciate that leaders are mindful of their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained in safeguarding and child protection. They understand their duties. They watch out for the pupils. They follow the school’s policy for managing concerns. They know what to do if a pupil may be at risk of harm. 14–15 January 2020

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Safeguarding leaders maintain thorough records of safeguarding concerns. They act swiftly when concerns about a pupil’s safety are brought to their attention. They work well with other agencies to ensure that pupils and families get the support they need.

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Leaders make sure the required checks are carried out on adults’ suitability to work with pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that the subject curriculums are ambitious enough. Curriculum planning is not sufficiently sequential and does not consistently build on what pupils have learned previously. This is especially the case for reading and mathematics. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Leaders must ensure that subject curriculums set out clearly what pupils should learn so that pupils know more and remember more over time.

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school Greens Norton Church of England Primary School to be good in May 2016.

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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.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 14–15 January 2020

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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. 14–15 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121239 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website http://www.greensnortonschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Greens Norton Church of England Primary School became a member of the Peterborough Diocese Education Trust in March 2017.  A new headteacher took up her post in September 2017.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, assistant headteacher, subject leaders, the early years teacher and other teachers. I held discussions with other staff. I met with the special educational needs coordinator and inclusion leader.  I met with the chair of the academy governance accountability committee and with representatives of the Peterborough Diocese Education Trust.  I spoke with pupils formally and informally during their breaktimes and in lessons.  I did deep dives in early reading, mathematics and science. I listened to pupils read and listened to teachers read to their classes during story time. I met with teachers to discuss the lessons visited and with pupils to discuss their work.  I examined a range of documents, including the school self-evaluation document, the school improvement plan, governing body minutes and curriculum plans. 14–15 January 2020

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 I scrutinised a range of safeguarding documents and records. I checked that leaders take timely action on behalf of pupils at risk of harm. I asked staff about their safeguarding and child protection responsibilities. I checked a sample of risk assessments.  I considered the 15 responses to the survey for staff and 24 responses to the pupils’ survey.  I considered the 53 responses to the Ofsted online survey Parent View.

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Inspection team

Liz Moore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 14–15 January 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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