Greenacres Primary School and Language Impairment Unit

Inspection of a good school: Greenacres Primary School and Language Impairment Unit Witherston Way, Eltham, London SE9 3JN

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2022

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Outcome

Greenacres Primary School and Language Impairment Unit continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Greenacres is an inclusive school. Pupils understand that they have varying needs and learn in different ways. They show empathy towards their peers and accurately explain that they do not ‘see pupils’ difficulties’. They show this in the way they treat each other in lessons and on the playground. Pupils learn about the principles of unity. They describe this as ‘everyone working together’. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) work closely with their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are courteous and polite. They behave well in lessons. Bullying is rare. Pupils confidently describe different types of bullying, such as physical or emotional. They talk to ‘playground buddies’ and staff if they feel sad or worried. They know how to stay safe. Adults develop positive relationships with pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff encourage pupils to be aspirational. Pupils want to become doctors, engineers and scientists. They find the educational trips and visits engaging. Pupils value their contribution to the school through the school parliament. They appreciate the opportunities to develop as leaders and entrepreneurs. For example, pupils create recipes and sell the food they cook and produce in the school’s kids’ café. They use tomatoes and vegetables they grow in the school gardens.

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

Leaders have a clear vision of what they want pupils to know and be able to do by the end of each key stage. Teachers follow plans that aim to support pupils in developing their knowledge in a systematic way. For instance, pupils learn about ‘equality’ by comparing how men and women lived in the past. Leaders prioritise important information they want pupils to learn in all subjects of the curriculum. Leaders revisit and consider the knowledge they want pupils to learn. This helps pupils to become confident in explaining what they know and remember. 22 and 23 February 2022

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Leaders aim for all pupils to become fluent readers. Children in the Nursery explore sounds using musical instruments and rhymes. Teachers teach them how to blend sounds in preparation for Reception. Staff speak positively about the phonics programme recently introduced. Training has helped teachers to model sounds well. Staff use repetition to recap and rehearse sounds that pupils learn. Books match pupils’ stages of reading. Adults check which sounds pupils know to identify those who may be falling behind. Staff use intervention programmes to help pupils keep up with their peers. Pupils show excitement when reading books. They love the visits to the attractive school library and reading sheds. Boys are particularly motivated to show what they understand and complete quizzes about the books they read. Children in Reception vote for books they want adults to read to them.

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Pupils benefit from practising what they know in mathematics. Teachers encourage pupils to explain what they think and understand when solving problems. Some pupils are not yet confident in doing this. They do not have a secure knowledge of the correct mathematical vocabulary to use in clear sentences. This also applies to other subjects such as history. Leaders are aware of this and have developed plans to address this with urgency. Pupils with SEND enjoy learning mathematics. Many of these pupils achieve in line with their peers.

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Leaders work hard in creating a strong inclusive culture. This is at the heart of the school. Pupils cooperate well with each other, and low-level disruptions are rare. Pupils with SEND are well catered for. Specialist resource teachers share expertise with staff. They support them in planning and delivering lessons that meet the needs of the pupils. Leaders distribute staff well to make sure pupils receive the support they need to access learning in different subjects. Pupils with SEND excel from their starting points.

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Staff support pupils’ wider development. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to join clubs such as computer coding and photography. They share fond memories of the things they have learned on trips to places of interest, including museums and galleries.

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Leaders focus on ensuring that children get the best possible start in the early years. Teachers plan meaningful learning experiences that enrich children’s vocabulary, personal and physical development. In the Nursery, children use paint brushes of varying sizes and make shapes with plasticine to develop their fine motor skills. They show enjoyment and independence in lessons. Staff check what children can do and build on the skills they have learned. They interact well with children.

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Staff appreciate the efforts leaders make to ensure they have a healthy work-life balance. They welcome the opportunities to access training to develop as professionals. Teachers are keen to take on subject leadership responsibilities. They show enthusiasm in developing the curriculum. The trust and local academy council tailor the school’s vision to suit the school community and its needs. They carefully oversee the school development plan, and the actions leaders take.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 22 and 23 February 2022

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Leaders use robust systems to make sure they keep pupils safe. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. They show confidence in fulfilling their responsibilities and follow reporting procedures. They are vigilant in looking for and responding to possible dangers and hazards. Staff in the early years routinely check outdoor areas before children access them. Leaders swiftly address risks that may potentially harm or endanger pupils’ well- being.

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Staff supervise pupils well during play and lunchtime. Pupils know how to stay safe online. They understand not to talk to people they do not know or share personal information on the internet.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils are not able to describe their learning in lessons or remember what they have learned in the past. This is because knowledge is not secure in their memory. They do not have the necessary understanding or vocabulary to support them when trying to explain what they know and remember. Leaders must ensure that teachers routinely check pupils’ understanding and provide them with the crucial knowledge and vocabulary to enable them to speak with confidence about what they have learned, know and remember.

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

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, of the same name, to be good in 15 May 2014.

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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. 22 and 23 February 2022

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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. 22 and 23 February 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212302 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority Board of trustees and local academy council

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School details

Chair of local academy council Laura Turner

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a language impairment unit that is a Designated Specialist Provision for pupils with developmental language disorders. The proportion of pupils assessed to have SEND in the mainstream school is above average.  The school is part of the Maritime Academy Trust. Members of the local academy council carry out some functions on behalf of the trustees, especially holding the school leaders to account.  Greenacres Primary School and Language Impairment Unit converted to become an academy in November 2017. When its predecessor school, Greenacres Primary School and Language Impairment Unit, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation. 22 and 23 February 2022

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 Meetings were held with the chief executive officer, chair of the local academy council, headteacher, senior leaders, a range of staff, and members of the local academy council and trust.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector scrutinised a range of curriculum plans and documents, including the school’s self-evaluation of the work it does and the school development plan.  The inspector reviewed safeguarding arrangements by scrutinising records and the single central record, talking to leaders and staff, and through discussions with pupils and parents.  The inspectors considered the views of parents and staff through Ofsted’s online

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surveys, including 20 free-text responses to Ofsted Parent View, and 34 responses from members of staff. There were no responses from pupils to the pupil survey.  The inspector visited the breakfast club operated by the school.

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Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 22 and 23 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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