Greenfield Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Greenfield Primary School Coalheath Lane, Shelfield, Walsall, West Midlands WS4 1PL

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Outcome

Greenfield Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy and enjoy coming to this school. Pupils talk passionately about what makes their school special. A typical comment was, ‘This school is like my family because it is so special to me. I have lots of friends and I learn lots too.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well, both in class, in the corridor and on the playground. They are keen to try their best and have positive attitudes to learning. In lessons, pupils behave well and show respect to each other. Leaders ensure that bullying of any kind is not tolerated in school. Leaders respond quickly and appropriately on the rare times that incidents do occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ learning. They are developing an ambitious curriculum that supports pupils to develop expertise in many subjects. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), rise to these expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show tolerance and respect to others in the school and in the wider community. They talked proudly about the different beliefs and religions they learn about in school. Pupils enjoy the extra responsibilities that leaders give them, such as being part of the school council, sports leaders or house captains.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious and broad curriculum. They have ensured that in most subjects, pupils achieve well. Pupils develop expertise in these subjects. For example, in design and technology, leaders have carefully identified and sequenced the skills of sewing over time. However, in a few subjects, this is not the case. In these subjects, pupils do not remember their learning as well as they do in others.

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

Staff carefully check what pupils have learned. If gaps are identified, staff quickly put extra support in place to ensure that pupils catch up quickly. For example, in phonics, pupils receive additional daily support while in mathematics, all misconceptions are 25 to 26 January 2023

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addressed in daily catch-up sessions. However, although leaders are working hard to improve attendance, too many pupils are regularly absent from school. This means that these pupils have significantly more gaps than other pupils. Leaders carefully plan catch- up sessions for these pupils, but some gaps still remain in pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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Learning to read is a priority across the school. Leaders have ensured that pupils experience quality texts to help develop a love of reading. In addition, pupils study ambitious poetry. This helps to develop pupils’ understanding of complex vocabulary and text structures. Pupils who struggle with reading are supported to access these texts. For example, leaders use illustrated versions and pre-reading sessions to help prepare pupils. This supports these pupils to access such texts successfully.

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The phonics curriculum allows children to learn phonics as soon as they start in Reception. Staff are well trained to deliver this curriculum. The books that children read are well matched to the sounds they are learning. This helps pupils to quickly gain skills and knowledge in reading.

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Leaders have high expectations for pupils with SEND. Leaders ensure that they identify pupils’ needs quickly to ensure they get the support they need. Teachers ensure that learning is resourced and adapted when appropriate. Teaching assistants are well trained to support pupils with SEND. These strategies support pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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Children get off to a good start in the early years. Staff support children to develop effective relationships with adults and other children. As a result, children settle quickly. They love the stories and rhymes that are read to them. They shared with enthusiasm some of the rhymes they had been learning.

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Pupils show tolerance and empathy. In class, pupils are trained to support each other with their work. This develops their confidence and independence in lessons and helps to ensure that their learning is rarely disrupted. In the playground, pupils follow the rules to help keep breaktimes harmonious. They learn about fundamental British values through well-planned assemblies. Pupils have a secure understanding of the importance of respecting differences.

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Pupils take on a range of roles and responsibilities, for example as school councillors, house captains, play leaders and sports leaders.

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Leaders and governors are mindful of staff workload and well-being. For example, staff talked positively about recent changes to the mathematics curriculum which has had a positive impact on their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained to look for and identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. They know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil. Leaders ensure that pupils and 25 to 26 January 2023

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Leaders understand the risks that may be prevalent in the local area. They work closely with agencies such as the police to educate pupils about those risks, for example knife crime.

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Pupils learn how to keep safe. They know about the risks of social media and they learn how to keep safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not identified and sequenced the key learning that they want pupils to learn over time. In these subjects, pupils find it hard to recall and build on their prior learning. In these subjects, leaders should identify the precise knowledge they want pupils to learn and when they should learn it.  Too many pupils are regularly absent from school. These pupils do not learn as much as they could. Leaders should continue to work closely with families to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.

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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 in November 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. 25 to 26 January 2023

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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. 25 to 26 January 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 and 15 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has applied to join the Central Co-operative Learning Trust. They plan to join in April 2023.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision.  Leaders run a breakfast and after-school club.

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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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other curriculum leaders. She also met with a group of governors, including the chair of the 25 to 26 January 2023

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governing body.  The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and checked documents relating to safeguarding, including the checks made on staff. She also examined documentation relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the views of staff from Ofsted’s online survey.  The inspector also spoke with pupils and staff informally during the school day.

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Inspection team

Eve Morris, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 25 to 26 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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