Green Lane Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Green Lane Primary Academy Green Lane, Acklam, Middlesbrough TS5 7RU

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Outcome

Green Lane Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Green Lane Primary Academy prides itself on being ‘a big school with a big heart’. Leaders are highly ambitious for all pupils, with the belief that ‘anything is possible’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers say that the pastoral care for pupils is ‘first class’, and pupils are treated with love and respect. Parents felt well supported when the school was only open to some children due to COVID-19 restrictions. Leaders provided online learning and paper packs for pupils who continued to learn remotely.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They feel safe and say that bullying does not really happen. Pupils are confident that if there were an incident, swift action would be taken by a trusted adult. Pupils have a love of learning. They especially like the many visits and visitors that teachers arrange for them. This includes the local authors, artists and scientists who have visited the school. Pupils value the special responsibilities they are given, such as those of the ‘head starters’, who are pupils trained to support their classmates with any small worries that they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is a strength of the school. Pupils are polite and welcoming to visitors. Pupils are engaged in lessons. They move around school with care and consideration for others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure a rich variety of extra-curricular activities. For example, pupils attend clubs for creative play, multicultural dance and board games. There is something for everyone.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff describe the school as one big family. They feel valued and listened to. Leaders are supportive and offer practical help to manage the workload of staff. 2 and 3 February 2022

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

In the previous inspection, leaders were tasked with improving how well pupils can read and work mathematically. Leaders have risen to this challenge and the impact of their hard work is evident.

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

There has been significant investment in a new phonics scheme. Staff are well trained to ensure that they all teach phonics consistently. No time is lost, as children learn phonics from the start of Reception. New reading books are closely matched to the sounds that pupils know. This means that pupils can practise reading words and improving their fluency. Teachers use assessment well to make timely checks on how well pupils are doing. Pupils at risk of falling behind are quickly identified to receive extra help. Phonics teaching continues into key stage 2 for those pupils who are not yet secure in their reading.

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

Pupils love to read at Green Lane Primary Academy. Teachers are passionate about reading. Pupils enjoy a rich variety of high-quality texts that are threaded throughout the curriculum. Staff promote reading at home well. Pupils are motivated by a weekly book draw. Pupils enjoy a daily story time. Leaders know the importance of widening pupils’ vocabulary. During the inspection, this was seen in reading lessons and other subjects across the curriculum.

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

In mathematics, teachers follow a carefully planned, sequenced curriculum. Clear skills progression means that teachers can help pupils build on their prior knowledge. Children in Reception secure a good understanding of number. For example, they can explore different ways of making the number seven. Pupils’ recall of number facts continues to develop throughout school, with daily practice. Where there are gaps in learning, as a result of COVID-19, teachers have adapted the curriculum. Pupils use mathematical vocabulary confidently. For example, Year 3 pupils can correctly describe acute, obtuse and right angles.

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

School leaders have looked closely at other subjects, such as history and music. Leaders are developing a clear progression of knowledge and skills for each subject. In music, a commercial scheme has been introduced to support non-specialist teachers. In the lessons visited, Year 2 pupils were introduced to simple musical notation, and this was extended in Year 3 with notes presented on a stave.

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

Pupils talk confidently about their learning in history this term. However, when pupils were asked about history topics they had previously studied, their knowledge is less secure. For example, pupils learning about the First World War are unsure about the concept of empire. They cannot remember learning about the British Empire or the Roman Empire. This is because their teachers have not built successfully on what they already know. Pupils have not embedded the knowledge that they need. School leaders are aware that assessment in some foundation subjects, such as history, is an area for development.

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

Green Lane Primary Academy is an inclusive school. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn alongside their classmates. Additional adults are on hand to support pupils and they choose resources carefully. The leader for SEND seeks advice 2 and 3 February 2022

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and support from external agencies. This includes, for example, an educational psychologist and speech and language therapists. Their guidance ensures that pupils with SEND have their needs met within the curriculum.

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Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Year 6 pupils learn what it is to be a good citizen through the ‘Stepping Up’ programme. This helps with their move to secondary school. The curriculum reflects the diverse, multicultural nature of the school. Annual celebrations include those for Eid, Ramadan and Diwali. During Black History Month, pupils interviewed footballers from Middlesbrough Football Club about their experiences of racism. Pupils know that they have a voice and can make a difference.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

School leaders prioritise keeping pupils safe. All staff receive regular training and know the procedure for reporting concerns. Safeguarding records are rigorous. School leaders challenge professionals in their pursuit of support and action to help vulnerable pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

Appropriate recruitment checks ensure that all adults are suitable to work in school.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe online through the computing curriculum. They know when it is not safe to share personal information and how creating an avatar can help protect their identity. The curriculum promotes personal safety, for example road safety, cycling proficiency and pedestrian safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is new this year and has not had time to embed. Therefore, pupils’ learning in these subjects does not yet build sufficiently on prior knowledge. Leaders should check carefully that plans are implemented and develop a system of assessment across foundation subjects to ensure that pupils are knowing more and remembering more.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 2 and 3 February 2022

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about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

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This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Green Lane Primary School, to be good in September 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 .

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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. 2 and 3 February 2022

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School details

Website www.greenlanemiddlesbrough.co.uk

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Date of previous inspection

31 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Wraparound childcare is provided on site by the Acorn Club, an independent provider.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteachers and the senior leaders for safeguarding and SEND. The lead inspector met with a representative from the local authority and three governors, including the chair of governors. Discussions were also held with some teachers and support staff.  The quality of education was inspected by visiting lessons, meeting with a range of pupils and staff, looking at pupils’ work and examining curriculum documentation. The inspection team looked closely at reading, mathematics, history and music. 2 and 3 February 2022

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 Inspectors considered the views of parents through in-person discussions and via the 61 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey that were received.  Inspectors listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult, observed their behaviour moving around school and at lunchtime, met with pupils formally to gather their opinions, and held informal discussions across both days of the inspection.  A wide range of safeguarding information and documentation was scrutinised, including referrals and attendance records.

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Inspection team

Andy Jones, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Ashcroft Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 February 2022

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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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