Grasmere Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Grasmere Primary School 92 Albion Road, London, N16 9PD

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Outcome

Grasmere Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This small school has a big heart. Pupils said that a strength of this school is that everyone makes friends, knows and supports each other. Pupils are polite, confident and mature. They enjoy their learning and are keen to share and develop their knowledge.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that the quality of education, pupils' well-being and the wider curriculum are top priorities. They routinely seek improvements to enhance the quality of education within the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They know their teachers expect them to work hard. Pupils understand the importance of respect and of treating people equally. Older pupils take their role as peer mediators seriously. They sort out playground issues and play alongside their peers. Pupils said bullying is extremely rare. Teachers sort out any issues quickly. The school is a safe place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are involved in a wide range of clubs and activities that are organised at the start and end of the school day, including Spanish, skateboarding and girls’ football. Pupils are enthusiastic members of the choir and are enjoying learning songs for a concert at the London O2 in May. Parents, carers and pupils appreciated the increase in extra-curricular activities this academic year.

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

The headteacher and subject leaders have worked effectively to develop the school’s curriculum. They have refined curriculum thinking and identified what they want pupils to know in each subject. Pupils develop their subject knowledge as they move up through the years. Occasionally, in the early years foundation stage, the essential knowledge and skills that children need to know to be ready for Year 1 is not as clearly thought through. Leaders have identified that they need to review this aspect of the curriculum and make the essential knowledge more precise. 9 and 10 March 2022

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Generally, pupils love reading. They read regularly and are encouraged to choose books from a wide range of authors. They read with fluency and confidence. Pupils enjoy daily story time when teachers read to their classes. Through regular reading practice, pupils develop their reading comprehension skills. Leaders have a list of books for pupils to read in Year 2 to support pupils’ readiness for Year 3.

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Staff teach early reading effectively and have secure subject knowledge. Leaders and staff ensure pupils learn to read well. Children learn phonics as soon as they begin school. They read books well matched to the sounds they have learned. Pupils who need extra support with their reading are helped to catch up quickly.

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The curriculum is carefully structured. In mathematics, the order in which subject content is taught enables pupils in Year 2 to build up their knowledge of equivalent fractions. Teachers check pupils' understanding regularly. Lessons routinely begin with a chance to recap and assess pupils’ knowledge. This helps pupils to know more and remember more.

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Subject leaders are ambitious and knowledgeable. They have high expectations for what pupils achieve. In music, pupils are taught to use musical terms, such as beat, rhythm, harmony and melody accurately. Pupils throughout the school use their musical knowledge confidently to compose and perform pieces.

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Pupils are focused in class and there is little disruption to learning. If they get distracted, teachers refocus them quickly. Pupils are passionate about their learning. They listen carefully to each other and work well together.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive in this nurturing and supportive environment. Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers because teachers breakdown learning into small achievable steps and provide additional support to help them to keep up. In music, for example, all pupils perform musical pieces in front of their classmates. Parents of pupils with SEND value the support their children receive.

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Leaders provide a wide range of opportunities for pupils’ wider development. They ensure all pupils have opportunities to participate in the wide range of clubs that the school organises.

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Staff are proud of their work and proud of their school. Leaders consider the well-being of all staff members. Morale is high. Governors share the ambition of the school’s leaders and are knowledgeable about the curriculum. They work effectively in partnership with school leaders to develop and strengthen the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise the safeguarding of all pupils. Staff know pupils, their families and community well. They have a detailed knowledge of local contextual risks. Staff have a strong understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. Leaders act swiftly when dealing with concerns. They work with families to ensure they receive the help they need. Staff with responsibility for safeguarding provide expert support. External support is well used when 9 and 10 March 2022

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needed. Pupils said that they felt comfortable talking to staff about any concerns they may have. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, subject leaders’ individual subjects plans for the early years do not identify all the essential knowledge that children need to learn. This means that children are not as well prepared for the start of Year 1 as they should be. Leaders should ensure that subject thinking clearly identifies the knowledge and skills that children need to learn in the early years.

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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 school to be good in March 2012.

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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. 9 and 10 March 2022

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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. 9 and 10 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10204474 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 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher took up post in September 2021.  The school runs a breakfast club before school. The after-school club is provided by Fit for Sport, which is registered with Ofsted.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 their evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders and managers and a range of staff and pupils. The inspector spoke with two members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body and met with a representative from the local authority. The inspector spoke with parents at the beginning of the school day.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, 9 and 10 March 2022

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visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed behaviour in lessons and at other times during the school day.  The inspector looked at how the school keeps pupils safe. She met with the leader with responsibility for safeguarding. She reviewed a range of documents including the school’s record of staff of pre-employment checks. Case files were sampled to explore how the school identifies and supports pupils who may be at risk of harm. The inspector spoke with pupils and staff to evaluate the school’s safeguarding culture.  The views of pupils and members of staff who responded to the online surveys were considered. Responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Parent View, were taken into account.

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Inspection team

Rebekah Iiyambo, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 March 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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