Grange Community Primary School

Inspection of Grange Community Primary School Grange Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 2LA

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Inspection dates: 29 to 30 November 2022

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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 Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 29 and 30 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Grange Community Primary is a school that buzzes with learning. Pupils are enthusiastic. They like attending school as, they say, it ‘makes us smarter’. Pupils are aspirational. They know that if they work hard, they can achieve well. Children who joined the school in September proudly show visitors their work. Even at this early stage in the school year, they are confident in their learning. This is because of staff’s high expectations and clear delivery of the early years curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are warm, friendly to each other and welcoming. They are safe at school and say that if they have any worries, they have an adult they can talk to. Bullying is not tolerated. Pupils know that they should report bullying if they see it. Most of the time, they behave well in lessons. On occasion, their excitement to contribute can get the better of them and they fail to listen to one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents speak highly of the school. They are positive about the care and support their children receive. The range of opportunities pupils enjoy is extensive. Pupils look forward to the annual residential trips and visits that enrich the curriculum, such as to Landguard Fort.

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better?

Leaders are making a significant difference to pupils’ experience of school. Staffing has stabilised and pupils are enjoying learning. Leaders have implemented an ambitious curriculum. This ensures that pupils have a strong start to their education. Leaders’ aims are to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the wider world. The curriculum helps to achieve this.

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better?

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders made sure that teachers focused on pupils’ gaps in their learning. There has been a heavy emphasis, for instance, on arithmetic. Older pupils are steadily increasing their knowledge of number facts. As a result, this area of mathematics is improving, and pupils are more confident to tackle more difficult problems.

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better?

The training programme offered by trust leaders successfully prepares staff to deliver the curriculum well. Staff believe they are trusted as professionals and, if necessary, adjust the curriculum to meet the varying needs of pupils. Most of the time, teachers do this effectively, building on pupils’ prior knowledge so they are confident learning new material. On occasion, less-experienced teachers are not as successful. For example, they may put too much content into the lesson or move pupils on to more complex work without enough practise of the basics first.

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better?

Staff deliver the school’s chosen phonics programme with confidence. Adults listen carefully to pupils read. They consistently use the same approaches so that pupils are clear about how to decode words. Close checks on pupils’ progress help adults match reading books to the sounds they know. Older pupils love reading, whether 29 and 30 November 2022

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that is independently or in class. They talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors and plots that surprise them.

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Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They readily answer teachers’ questions and take an active role in lessons. Sometimes, in a group situation, they can neglect to take it in turns when giving their views. Some pupils find it difficult to express their thoughts or do not use appropriate language to suit the situation. For example, using slang instead of more formal English. When this occurs, pupils respond well to prompts from staff.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support. Teachers adapt the curriculum so that pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers. Pupils with speech, language and communication needs contribute well to class discussions. Staff communicate effectively with parents, noting, for example, any changes in pupils’ behaviour from parents’ communication books. This means they can readily amend support as required.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. The early years curriculum prepares children effectively for future learning. The close liaison with feeder nurseries helps leaders to create personal learning programmes. These have a sharp focus on developing children’s emotional well-being and their social skills. This continues with a comprehensive personal, social and health education curriculum in later years. Older pupils learn what it means to be an active citizen through taking part in a community project to look after the elderly. There are many activities that enrich the curriculum. Leaders ensure that pupils understand faith and what it means to grow up in multicultural Britain.

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Staff morale is high. They appreciate leaders’ focus on their well-being and workload. They are overwhelmingly positive about the professional support they receive. Governors and trustees know the school well. They hold leaders to account effectively for the quality of education that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have up-to-date safeguarding knowledge. They receive regular, helpful training that allows them to quickly identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Staff report any concerns in a timely manner. Records and risk assessments are thorough. Leaders liaise effectively with external agencies to secure the right help for families who need it.

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Safeguarding

Pupils’ physical and mental well-being is a priority. Pupils know what a healthy relationship is. They have an age-appropriate understanding of online risks. Younger children know how to use play equipment safely. 29 and 30 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some less-experienced staff struggle to refine the curriculum for the needs of their pupils. This means that these pupils do not get enough practice with the basics before moving on to complex work. Sometimes, too much information in a lesson can be confusing for pupils. Leaders should give precise support to these staff so that the amendments they make to the curriculum are effective and build from what pupils know and can do.  Sometimes, pupils do not communicate effectively. They lack the knowledge of how to express their ideas correctly for audience and purpose. This includes when talking about their learning. Leaders should review how they develop pupils’ oracy so that they improve pupils’ communication skills.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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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. 29 and 30 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10254987 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Grange Community Primary School became a sponsored academy in November 2018, joining the Orwell Multi-Academy Trust. When its predecessor school of the same name was last inspected by Ofsted in December 2017, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  The headteacher joined the school in January 2020.  There is a local governing body.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the chair of the trust and several trustees, the chair of the local governing body and a parent governor, the headteacher, the deputy 29 and 30 November 2022

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headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, staff and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, art and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and teaching assistants, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to a selection of pupils reading to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, inspectors read the school’s relevant policies and scrutinised the single central record. Inspectors met with safeguarding leaders and spoke with staff and pupils.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey and Ofsted’s staff survey. They considered responses to the parent survey, Ofsted Parent View,

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including free-text messages, and spoke to a group of parents.

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Inspection team

Liz Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Fykin Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 November 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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