Grangefield Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Grangefield Primary School Voxwell Lane, Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 8GL

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 January 2023

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Outcome

Grangefield Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Flying high. Spreading our wings’ is the deeply embedded motto at Grangefield Primary School. Leaders and staff want the very best for their pupils. There is a culture of high expectations and well-planned learning for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Each morning, pupils arrive at school eager to discover new and interesting knowledge.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils treat each other, staff and visitors with the utmost respect. Expectations of behaviour in and out of lessons are high, including for Reception-age children. Here, children make an excellent start to their school life. Bullying is not tolerated and staff work carefully to resolve any issues that do occur. Pupils feel safe and secure. Opportunities for pupils to talk to a trusted adult about their feelings are always available.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are actively involved in the life of the school and the local community. They know their views matter and feel valued. An extensive range of clubs, trips, activities and experiences ensure that pupils thrive here. The performing arts and sports have a high profile. Pupils are very proud to belong to this school and enjoy celebrating their own and others’ success.

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

Leaders know their school and community exceptionally well. They have a steadfast determination to provide the very best learning experience for all pupils, including the most disadvantaged. Leaders have created a well-designed curriculum that ignites pupils’ natural curiosity, interests and imagination. Across subjects, the essential knowledge and skills pupils should learn, and the order in which they should learn it, is clearly and precisely set out. Consequently, pupils, including children in early years, secure and deepen their learning exceptionally well. 17 and 18 January 2023

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Teachers, including those new to the profession, have expert subject knowledge. This is because leaders provide regular high-quality training for staff. Teachers engage and challenge pupils to learn and remember more in all subjects and areas of learning. Teachers’ use of assessment is highly effective. They carefully check whether pupils understand what they are learning. Teachers use this information to skilfully adapt teaching to help pupils, including those with SEND, learn and remember the essential knowledge.

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Leaders and staff show a united determination to ensure every pupil will be a fluent and confident reader by the time they leave the school. The teaching of the ambitious phonics programme starts as soon as the children join Reception. Pupils build the reading skills they need through repetition and practise. Staff in early years and key stage 1 are highly trained and can identify quickly any need for extra support. Additional phonics sessions provide daily practise to ensure every pupil becomes a successful reader. This means that pupils can access the many rich and exciting books available.

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Leaders and staff exemplify respectful, kind and thoughtful behaviour. As a result, pupils behave exceptionally well. Pupils have highly positive attitudes towards their learning. Classrooms are calm, focused and purposeful. In early years, children carefully follow the well-established routines and are deeply engaged in their learning. They learn about the school values, for example determination, responsibility and excellence and how to use them to help their learning.

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This school is truly inclusive and staff are uncompromisingly ambitious for every pupil, irrespective of their differing needs. The curriculum has been carefully constructed to ensure all pupils with SEND learn alongside their classmates. Pupils with SEND receive expert support. Leaders identify where pupils need additional help and, when appropriate, tailored and bespoke programmes are implemented skilfully. This means that pupils with SEND achieve exceptionally well.

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The wider personal development curriculum is a strength of the school. Leaders take their responsibility for preparing pupils for success in the wider, diverse world very seriously. All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, take part in a rich range of extra-curricular activities. They identify and celebrate commonalities and differences. A carefully-designed programme of assemblies provides stimulating opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of what respect, tolerance and individual liberty mean. This helps prepare pupils well for their next stage of learning and for life in modern Britain.

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Governors know the school very well. They have a clear understanding of its strengths and provide considered support and robust challenge. Consequently, leadership at all levels is extremely effective. There is a noteworthy sense of solidarity and cooperation among staff. They feel valued and appreciate that leaders are always considerate of their workload and well-being. Staff are exceptionally proud to work at the school. 17 and 18 January 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have secured a very strong culture of safeguarding. Staff are well trained to recognise signs of harm in children. They report any concerns promptly and leaders follow these up meticulously with appropriate actions. Leaders and staff know their families very well and this means that they are alert to anything that may suggest a pupil might need some additional help.

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Safeguarding

Leaders closely monitor all concerns recorded and work tirelessly with other partner agencies to ensure timely support for those who need it. Leaders ensure that checks on adults appointed to work in the school are thorough and monitored effectively.

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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 an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good on the 27 and 28 September 2017.

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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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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. 17 and 18 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256780 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 27 and 28 September 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of governors. He also had a meeting with a representative from Gloucestershire Local Authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector 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 a sample of pupils’ work. The inspector also heard pupils read. 17 and 18 January 2023

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 The inspector considered the curriculum, met with the history subject leader and looked at samples of pupils’ work in history, art and religious education.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector reviewed a wide range of safeguarding documentation, including the school’s record of recruitment checks. The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead. The inspector also spoke with pupils and staff.  The inspector took account of parents’ responses to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View, and parents’ written comments. The inspector also spoke to groups of parents on the morning of the second day of inspection.  The inspector gathered pupils’ views throughout each day, including during lesson visits. He also took into account responses to the pupils’ survey.  The inspector met with a range of staff to gather their views about the school and took account of staff’s responses to Ofsted’s confidential staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Alan Derry, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 17 and 18 January 2023

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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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