Greswold Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Greswold Primary School Buryfield Road, Solihull, West Midlands B91 2AZ

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 February 2023

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Outcome

Greswold Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their learning and work hard at Greswold Primary School. They are proud of their school and make every effort to do well. Staff work hard to provide a broad curriculum that helps pupils make good academic progress. Pupils enjoy lessons and pay close attention in class.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well mannered in lessons and at social times. They treat each other with kindness and respect. Pupils told the inspectors that when bullying occasionally happens, adults quickly deal with it. Pupils feel safe at school. They know that they can talk to an adult if anything is worrying them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that there is a wide range of opportunities that broaden pupils’ experiences. Pupils enjoy a range of clubs, including for gymnastics, dance and basketball. There are many opportunities for pupils to have a say in what happens at school. Pupils also enjoy responsibilities that promote their independence and prepare them for the future, such as those of mental health ambassadors and English as an additional language buddies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff take great care to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school makes sure that it includes all pupils in everything that it does.

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

Senior leaders have an ambitious vision for the school. They want all pupils to succeed. They have developed a rich and varied curriculum that links to the school’s ‘BRICKS’ values of belonging, respect, independence, curiosity, kindness and success. The curriculum includes many opportunities to enrich pupils’ day-to-day experiences. As a result of this, pupils find their learning exciting. 14 and 15 February 2023

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Leaders strive for a curriculum that is ambitious and well sequenced. This is well established in most subjects. For example, in English, there has been a recent focus on developing ambitious writing. The progress that pupils are making is clear to see in the books from year to year. Leaders have ensured that staff know what comes next in the writing curriculum, so that pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. However, it is not as clear what pupils must know by the time they finish the topic or leave the year group in a few curriculum areas. This may limit the progress that pupils make in these curriculum areas.

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There has been considerable work carried out to develop the curriculum recently, and subject leaders are well supported by the senior leadership team. However, in a few cases, subject leaders are still developing the expertise required to lead their subject area confidently and to monitor the impact of the curriculum. As a result of this, occasionally, some subject leaders do not have a clear understanding of how well their curriculum is supporting pupils’ learning.

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Teachers have a good understanding of the subjects they teach. They provide precise explanations and break new information down into small steps. This ensures that pupils know the things they need to in order to help them complete their work.

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Pupils love to read. There is a structured approach to reading across the school. Pupils read regularly at home and in school. They also enjoy story time at the end of each day. Daily phonics sessions help children in early years to learn their sounds quickly. Staff give additional help to pupils who struggle to read. This helps pupils to keep up with their learning across different subjects. Older pupils talk about their favourite books with understanding and pleasure.

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Leaders are ambitious for the high number of pupils with SEND at the school. Everyone knows what makes each pupil ‘tick’ and how best to support them in their learning. Sometimes, this means that pupils work with staff who are skilled in supporting pupils with SEND in one of the three intervention rooms in the school. Leaders and staff meet pupils’ needs exceptionally well. As a result of this, pupils participate fully in learning and make at least good progress.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. Adults know pupils well and listen to them. Pupils feel valued and cared for. This is reflected in the excellent way that they treat each other. Leaders provide excellent pastoral support, and children know how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Staff and pupils embrace the multicultural aspect of the school, welcoming and respecting everyone in school and celebrating their differences.

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Staff appreciate steps taken by leaders to help them manage their workload and promote their well-being. Governors are ambitious for the school and its pupils. They know the school well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14 and 15 February 2023

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Leaders make sure that pupils are safe. Staff know their pupils very well and are quick to pick up on any concerns. They receive regular training that ensures that they can identify any problems that pupils may face. Staff have a thorough understanding of the role they play in keeping pupils safe. Leaders work effectively with pupils and families who need extra help and support. They work closely with the relevant agencies. Recruitment checks on the suitability of staff working in the school are robust.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in the locality and when online through curriculum activities, assemblies and visitors.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders do not have the expertise needed to carry out their roles and responsibilities fully. They do not yet know how well their curriculum is supporting pupils’ learning. Senior leaders should ensure that all subject leaders receive the necessary support and development they need to lead their subject area and monitor impact effectively.  Curriculum end-points are not clear in some subjects. This means that it is not as clear to staff what pupils must know by the time they finish the topic, so some pupils do not make the progress that they could. Leaders should ensure that end-points are clearly understood and that learning takes place with these end-points in mind.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 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. 14 and 15 February 2023

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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. 14 and 15 February 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Ahmed Elsharkawy

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Date of previous inspection

1 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school operates a before- and after-school club each day.  The school uses one alternative provider that is unregistered.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders.  Inspectors spoke to a representative from the local authority on the phone.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, English, science and modern foreign languages. Inspection activities in these subjects included lesson visits, discussion with staff and pupils, meeting with subject leaders and work scrutiny. An inspector also observed pupils reading. 14 and 15 February 2023

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 Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to safeguarding arrangements, behaviour and attendance. Inspectors also reviewed the school’s evaluation of its own performance and the school’s development plans.  Inspectors talked to staff about their role in keeping pupils safe.  Inspectors held informal and formal discussions with pupils and observed lunchtime and breaktime.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including additional free-text comments. They also took account of responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaires for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Emma Gater, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Buckle Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 February 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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