Scholar Green Primary School

Inspection of Scholar Green Primary School Congleton Road, Scholar Green, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST7 3HF

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 February 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 14 and 15 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils live up to their school motto. They try their best and work hard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years make a strong start to their education. The warm and nurturing environment helps them to settle in quickly. Children delight in the many exciting activities that staff provide from a carefully designed curriculum. These help children to learn well. They grow in confidence and independence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that teachers are kind. Pupils trust staff to help them with any worries that they may have. On the very rare occasions that bullying happens, leaders deal with it effectively. This helps pupils to feel cared for, happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for what each pupil should achieve. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Pupils talked proudly about what they have learned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect pupils to behave well. Pupils are sensible in lessons and as they move around school. They are kind to one another and respectful to adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the extensive range of high-quality opportunities to enrich their learning and support their personal development. Older pupils talked excitedly about the residential visits on offer.

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better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. It is rich in opportunities that enable pupils to succeed academically and personally.

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better?

The curriculum is well ordered from the early years to Year 6. Leaders have ensured that teachers know what to teach and when this knowledge should be taught. Leaders have designed the early years curriculum carefully so that it helps children to learn all that they should in readiness for their move into key stage 1. The curriculum in this part of the school ensures that children are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps.

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better?

Some subject curriculums are in the early stages of implementation. Leaders are in the early stages of checking that these curriculums are helping pupils across each key stage to learn what is intended.

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better?

Teachers introduce new learning clearly. They quickly identify and address any misconceptions that pupils may have.

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better?

Highly skilled staff in the early years seize on every opportunity to engage children in high-quality conversation as they learn and play. They extend and develop children’s vocabulary and early language skills. 14 and 15 February 2023

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Leaders have ensured that staff have the training and support that they need to teach the phonics programme effectively. Children start to build their knowledge of phonics early in their Reception Year. Teachers select books for pupils to read that match the sounds that pupils know. Teachers use leaders’ assessment systems well to spot pupils who may be falling behind with their reading knowledge. Teachers act swiftly to help these pupils to catch up. Pupils learn to read fluently and accurately.

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Leaders are passionate about making sure that pupils develop a love of reading. In the early years, children join in with rhymes, songs and stories enthusiastically. Older pupils enjoy reading novels, information books and poetry. They talked confidently about their favourite authors.

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Leaders identify pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. Staff work closely with other professionals to provide these pupils with specialist support where needed. In the early years, staff skilfully adapt their teaching, so that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. Pupils can get on with their learning without interruption. Children in the early years, including the two- and three-year-olds, quickly learn the rules and routines. These children play and work well together.

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Pupils’ personal development and well-being are central to the life of the school. Pupils benefit from extremely effective pastoral support. Pupils learn about the importance of tolerance and respect for others. Pupils enjoy finding out about religions and cultures that are different from their own. They care about others less fortunate than themselves and regularly raise funds for a wide range of charities. Pupils relish the leadership roles that they can take on from an early age, such as school councillors, reading buddies and safeguarding councillors.

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Staff appreciate the consideration that leaders give to staff’s workload and well- being.

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The knowledgeable governing body support and challenge leaders effectively to make sure that pupils are safe and have the best education possible.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that safeguarding is a priority across the school. All staff receive regular safeguarding training, so that they know what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil’s welfare.

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Safeguarding

Leaders act on any concerns quickly and diligently. They work closely with external agencies to secure appropriate and timely support for vulnerable pupils and their families. 14 and 15 February 2023

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Pupils learn how to stay safe when using the internet and social media as well as when they are out in their local area. They know how to report any worries that they may have.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not been able to find out if the curriculum is helping pupils to learn all that they should across the full key stage. This hinders them from being assured that pupils are knowing more and remembering more over time. Leaders should make sure they gain a full picture of pupils’ knowledge across an entire key stage.

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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. 14 and 15 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256047 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Andrew Harrington

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School details

Website www.scholargreen.cheshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.

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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 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 spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  An inspector met with a representative of the local authority. 14 and 15 February 2023

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 Inspectors scrutinised a range of safeguarding documentation, including the school’s single central record. They spoke with staff to check how well they understood their safeguarding responsibilities.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. An inspector listened to pupils read with a familiar adult. An inspector also spoke with leaders and pupils about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors spoke with some members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors spoke with some parents to gather their views about the school. Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-

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text comments.  Inspectors spoke with staff to gather their views about their workload and well- being and considered responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils during the inspection and considered the responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils.

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Inspection team

Julie Morley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Kirkpatrick 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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