Green Meadow Independent Primary School

Inspection of Green Meadow Independent Primary School Robson Way, Lowton, Warrington WA3 2RD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school. They get on well with each other. Leaders have high expectations of every pupil. Staff work as a close-knit team. They know pupils well and help them to settle into school life and to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They show respect for each other and their teachers. Pupils and staff eat together at break and lunchtimes. This helps pupils to develop warm and supportive relationships with staff. In lessons, pupils try hard and want to do well. The pupils who spoke with us said that they feel safe. They do not think that bullying is an issue. They told us that, if it happens, staff deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that teachers make learning fun. Pupils particularly enjoy the wide range of practical activities on offer, such as art and music. Pupils recently participated in the ‘Young Voices’ concert in Manchester. They relish the opportunity to play sports, such as hockey and tennis and participate in residential visits.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. One parent commented, ‘The school has changed our children’s lives. They are now confident, eager to learn and happy going into school.’

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better?

The proprietor works closely with leaders and the management committee. All leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They provide a broad and enriched curriculum. Leaders make sure that topics are taught in a logical order in all subjects. This helps pupils to build on their previous knowledge and learn well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive effective support. Some pupils join the school with gaps in their knowledge. Teachers help these pupils to catch up with subject content that they have missed. Pupils attain highly in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2.

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better?

In mathematics, pupils use their knowledge of calculation methods and times tables well to solve problems. In the early years, children use a range of practical resources to help them develop their understanding of number and counting. Pupils have opportunities to revisit and apply their scientific knowledge through carrying out interesting scientific investigations. That said, some pupils do not remember key scientific facts from previous years. Leaders are aware that they need to further improve the systems to check on pupils’ achievement in subjects other than in English and mathematics.

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better?

Leaders ensure that pupils read widely. They have invested in high-quality texts to stimulate pupils’ interest. Most of the books that children in the early years read match the sounds that they are learning. Staff provide effective support for children and pupils who need to catch up with phonics knowledge. Older pupils enjoy reading to younger pupils. Pupils are motivated to read by ‘book days’ and the authors who 3–5 March 2020

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visit school. Pupils said that they enjoy reading. They learn to read with greater confidence as they move through the school.

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Children get off to a strong start in the early years. The curriculum is well planned so that children gain the knowledge and skills that they need to make a successful start in Year 1. They listen and concentrate well. The indoor and outdoor areas are stimulating and well resourced. Children learn lots of exciting new things because activities build on what they already know. Staff promote children’s communication and language skills well.

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The school has a calm and orderly atmosphere. Pupils play happily with each other during break and lunchtimes. They appreciate being taught in small groups. They said that this helps them to learn more in class. Pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Most pupils attend school regularly.

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Pupils develop leadership skills through being house captains. They have many opportunities to go on trips, such as to a pantomime, museums and a farm. Pupils learn to help others. For example, they raise money for local and international charities. Pupils have chances to debate their own points of view and learn about different cultures and democracy through ‘themed weeks’. Leaders ensure that pupils learn about different religions. While pupils are respectful and tolerant of these differences, some do not yet have a deep enough understanding of religions other than their own.

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Leaders make sure that staff receive the training that they need to develop and deliver the curriculum well. Staff are proud to work in the school. Leaders ensure that staff well-being and workload is carefully considered.

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The proprietor has ensured that the independent school standards are met. She has maintained a good standard of education since the previous inspection. Leaders maintain the premises to a high standard. Pupils’ health, safety and welfare is a key priority. The school’s policies on first aid, fire safety and risk assessments are implemented effectively. Drinking water is readily available in all classrooms. The outdoor area is suitable for play and for the provision of physical education. Parents receive detailed information about how their children are achieving at school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all necessary checks are undertaken on adults before they can work at the school. Leaders record the details carefully on the school’s central record. Members of the management committee and all staff have received up-to- date safeguarding training. Staff know how to identify and report any concerns that they may have. Leaders work closely with outside agencies to support pupils and their families. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online. 3–5 March 2020

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum provides many opportunities for pupils to learn about British values. However, some pupils do not have a strong enough understanding of different faiths. Leaders are aware of this and have plans in place to develop this further. Leaders should ensure that they develop suitable plans and implement these securely in order to promote pupils’ understanding of the different beliefs that people in modern Britain have. This will enable pupils to be as prepared as possible for their future lives.  All subject curriculums are well planned. Even so, some pupils are not able to remember some of the concepts that they have learned in some subjects other than English and mathematics. This is because some teachers are not using assessment information about pupils’ prior learning well enough when they plan topics. Leaders have begun to provide pupils with more opportunities to revisit

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

topics and to improve the assessment systems in subjects other than English and mathematics. They should now ensure that these changes are implemented fully. This will help pupils learn more and remember more.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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 provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 3–5 March 2020

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School details

Unique reference number 135998 DfE registration number 359/6011

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School details

Inspection number 10112072 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £3,990 to £8,500

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School details

Website www.greenmeadowindependentschool.co m Email address greenmeadowteachers@gmail.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21–23 March 2017

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the school is registered for up to 198 pupils aged from three to 14 years.  There are currently no pupils in key stage 3 on the school’s roll. 3–5 March 2020

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the proprietor, who is also the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and groups of subject leaders and staff. We also held discussions with groups of pupils and observed their interactions during social times.  We examined a range of documents in order to check on the statutory requirements of the independent school standards. These included the school’s policies, attendance analysis and schemes of work. We also carried out checks on the suitability of the premises.  We checked the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures and the school’s single central record. We met with leaders, staff and pupils to check how effective safeguarding is in school.  We met with parents at the start of the school day to seek their views. We also considered 14 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, including free-text responses. We considered nine responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.

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Information about this inspection

 We did deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, music and science. Inspection activities included discussions with leaders, visits to lessons, a review of pupils’ work and photographic evidence and discussions with teachers and a small group of pupils. We listened to pupils read and examined how well the school’s phonics scheme was being implemented.

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Inspection team

Ahmed Marikar, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 3–5 March 2020

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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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