Greystoke Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Greystoke Primary School Thornton Drive, Narborough, Leicester, Leicestershire LE19 2GX

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Outcome

Greystoke Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Greystoke is a happy and welcoming school. Pupils say that their school is special because everyone respects each other and is kind. Pupils have compassion for others. They learn about global events and organise fundraising activities to help others. They learn about the work of the Red Cross and other international organisations. Pupils learn about environmental concerns and sustainability. The school’s ‘ministry of the future’ is working to develop biodiversity in the school grounds.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they are safe in school. There are always adults whom they can talk to. They use the school’s ‘worry boxes’ to pass on concerns. Pupils say that staff always help them to sort out any problems. Incidents of bullying are rare. When these do happen, pupils say that teachers sort things out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers want pupils to learn and do well. The school’s new curriculum is designed to prepare pupils for life in the 21st century. The ‘big ideas’ curriculum helps pupils to connect their knowledge across subjects. Leaders choose reading books carefully to match the curriculum and to reflect the local area, the United Kingdom, the world and beyond. Some aspects of the implementation of the school’s curriculum need further refinement.

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

Staff have designed the curriculum in collaboration with others across the trust. The aim of the curriculum is to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. The curriculum is well designed and sets out what leaders want pupils to know and when. Leaders have grouped some subjects to be taught together under their ‘big ideas’ curriculum.

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

Leaders support teachers to teach the curriculum. Teachers recap what pupils have already learned before they move on to something new. For example, in Year 1, pupils talk confidently about the difference between human and physical geography before they start to learn about extreme weather. In Year 6, pupils use their knowledge of biomes 23 and 24 May 2023

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when contrasting the United Kingdom and Mexico. Children are calm and well involved during the lessons. They are keen to learn. Occasionally, the activity that teachers choose does not match what they want the pupils to learn. Sometimes, teachers are not ambitious enough in their choice of activities.

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The headteacher has championed a love of reading across the school. Staff have high expectations that pupils will learn to read well. The phonics leader checks regularly how many sounds pupils know. When pupils need extra support to keep up, leaders put this in place quickly. School reading challenges encourage pupils to read widely and often.

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The school’s curriculum for mathematics is well planned. Teachers check what pupils know at the beginning and end of units of work. This helps them to plan carefully and tackle pupils’ gaps in knowledge. Leaders check that teachers follow and teach all of the curriculum as intended. Teachers explain new learning well and use apparatus to introduce new concepts. They clarify knowledge and check that pupils understand.

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Staff in early years are ambitious to get children ready for key stage 1. Teachers explain new learning clearly, building on what children have learned before. During independent time, children have opportunities to practise what they have learned. For example, children learned how to subtract using a number line. Some children choose to practise this on their own later in the day. Occasionally, tasks that adults ask children to complete do not match what they want them to learn.

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The leader for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) works closely with staff and other agencies to make sure that pupils get the support they need. In lessons, some pupils with SEND use equipment to help them. For example, in early years, some children used toys to subtract before using a number line. Adults who support pupils with SEND are compassionate and are driven to help them to achieve and succeed.

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Pupils have many opportunities to learn about the world around them. The pupil parliament collaborates with school and trust leaders to help make the school better. Pupils get involved with international fundraising efforts. Recently, pupils spoke with a representative from the Red Cross to learn more about the support for victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. One pupil said that they know that ‘people are still suffering, even though the news has stopped’.

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Leaders, including trust leaders, work hard to protect staff from bullying and harassment. Teachers speak highly of the support they get from leaders and the trust. They feel that leaders care about their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have made sure that staff know it is their responsibility to protect pupils. They ensure that all staff have regular, up-to-date training and information to help them to safeguard pupils in their care. Staff report all concerns. These are followed up carefully by 23 and 24 May 2023

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school leaders. Record-keeping is thorough. Leaders seek support for families when needed.

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The school’s curriculum helps pupils to learn about the dangers they might face in life. Trust staff check that all recruitment checks are carried out before staff or volunteers join the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, in some foundation subjects, activities that teachers ask pupils to complete do not match what the curriculum states they should learn. The ambition for what pupils should know is not always high enough. This slows down pupils’ learning and progress. Leaders must ensure that staff are clear and precise about what they want pupils to know. They should ensure that activities are ambitious and help pupils develop their subject knowledge.  In early years, the tasks that children are required to complete do not always match the curriculum. Staff are not always clear about how planned activities will develop children’s knowledge. This hinders the progress that some children make in readiness for Year 1. Leaders must make sure that the activities planned for children match what they want them to learn, and that staff use their knowledge of the curriculum to deepen and develop children’s knowledge.

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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 predecessor school, Greystoke Primary School Narborough, to be good in September 2014.

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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. 23 and 24 May 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. 23 and 24 May 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has joined the school since the previous inspection.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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 the evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, representatives from the local advisory board and various trust leaders.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and geography. The inspector met with subject leaders and the leader for pupils with SEND, spoke with teachers, visited lessons, spoke with pupils and looked at samples of work.  Meetings were held to discuss the school’s arrangements for safeguarding. This included looking at the school’s safeguarding records and associated documents. 23 and 24 May 2023

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 The inspector spoke with pupils and observed their behaviour around the school, including at breakfast club and at lunchtime.  Responses to the survey Ofsted Parent View were reviewed and taken into account. The inspector spoke to some parents and carers during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Helen Williams, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 May 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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