Grange Lane Infant Academy

Inspection of Grange Lane Infant Academy Grange Lane, Rossington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN11 0QY

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 7 and 8 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Grange Lane are kind, welcoming and polite. This can be felt as soon as you walk through the door. Pupils look after each other. They show high levels of respect to each other and all adults, including visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a clear passion from leaders and staff to give pupils a wide range of opportunities and experiences. This ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, experience success. This creates a highly inclusive culture. As a result, pupils get off to an excellent start to their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults demonstrate the highest levels of care for pupils. Parents agree with this. Pupils of all ages thrive in this nurturing school. Pupils told inspectors that their school is a kind place to be. One pupil, representing the views of many, said, ‘If we ever have a worry, teachers are caring and fix the problems or worries that we have.’ Most pupils say that there is no bullying in the school. If there is, staff deal with it swiftly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from carefully chosen experiences that build their understanding of the world around them. These experiences develop their social conscience and understanding of modern Britain. Pupils are proud to be leaders in the school, including on the school council or as eco-warriors or reading ambassadors.

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better?

Exceptionally strong leadership ensures the success of pupils at this school. Leaders have set an ambitious vision. They ensure that pupils experience an aspirational curriculum. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. The curriculum is designed to give all pupils the knowledge, values and life skills they need to be successful in the future. Staff understand the needs of individual pupils, including those with SEND. They make sure that pupils who need it get extra support to help them achieve well.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that reading is a high priority. Children get off to a flying start in learning to read in the early years. Training has ensured that all staff have the expertise to teach phonics well. Pupils read books that accurately match the sounds they already know. Pupils who struggle with their phonic knowledge get the help they need to catch up quickly. As a result, pupils develop fluency and accuracy in reading. Teachers share books with pupils every day. The whole school environment promotes a love of reading. Pupils confidently share opinions and thoughts about a range of interesting texts.

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better?

The ambitious early years curriculum lays strong foundations for Year 1 and beyond. Children in the early years are engaged in hands-on experiences. All activities are carefully considered to build children’s knowledge over time. Adults interact 7 and 8 March 2023

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purposefully with children to develop their vocabulary and deepen their understanding. Teachers provide children with opportunities to practise writing in all areas of the provision, both inside and outside. Parents appreciate being involved in school life from the beginning of their child’s time at the school. This builds strong relationships with children and their families.

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High expectations of pupils’ behaviour ensures that all pupils feel happy, safe and well cared for. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Pupils follow the golden rules of ‘We are gentle, we are kind and helpful, we look after property, we are honest, we listen.’ The many rewards on offer, such as ‘golden tickets’ and ‘applause on the doors’, motivate pupils to do their best. Children from the early years upwards quickly learn the routines and expectations of how to behave in school. This creates highly positive attitudes to learning.

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The high-quality personal, social and health education programme goes beyond what is expected. Pupils flourish due to the rich opportunities that leaders make available to them. Even the very youngest children in Reception learn about careers. This means their learning is made relevant to the jobs they may choose in the future. Pupils’ learning is enriched by working towards the ‘rainbow pledges’, where they explore seven themes. Examples of these are citizenship, democracy and the environment. Pupils relish opportunities to take part in a wide range of clubs, which helps them to develop and pursue their talents and interests.

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Staff make it very clear that they enjoy working at the school. They feel very well supported by leaders. They are appreciative of leaders’ attention to their workload and well-being. Leaders, including those from the multi-academy trust, make sure that all staff have access to high-quality professional development. Governors understand the strengths of the school and have the same high ambitions for pupils’ outcomes. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive. They recognise that their children do well at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders are relentless in their approach to supporting all pupils at this school to ensure that they are safe. Work with external agencies is effective because leaders are not afraid to challenge them. All staff know families well, which leads to strong relationships. Families know that they will get the support they need. Staff are knowledgeable about local issues, and this is built into the curriculum. The systems for reporting concerns about children are well embedded. Leaders respond quickly to any concerns about pupils’ safety.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn important life skills that will keep them safe. Children from the early years to Year 2 learn about many important themes. For example, pupils learn about good friendships, first aid and how to stay safe online. 7 and 8 March 2023

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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10227458 Type of school Infant

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 July 2019

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  The school has provision for two-year olds.  The school is part of the Delta Academies Trust.

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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

 This is 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 met with the principal, early years lead, and the special educational needs coordinator. 7 and 8 March 2023

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 The lead inspector met with representatives from the academy advisory board, the board of trustees and a representative from the multi-academy trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and art. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, conducted joint lesson visits with leaders, had discussions with teachers, spoke to pupils about their work and looked at pupils’ books and samples of their work.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, around the school and at playtime and lunchtime. They spoke with pupils about their views of the school and their learning, behaviour and safety.  During the inspection, a range of safeguarding information was scrutinised, including the school’s policies and records. Inspectors spoke to pupils and observed relationships between pupils and adults. The lead inspector also met

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with the designated safeguarding leads.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and pupils and Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Parent View. This included comments received via the free-text facility. They also talked to some parents in the school playground.

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Inspection team

Nicola Beaumont, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Shan Brough Jones Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 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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