Grange Infants' School

Inspection of Grange Infants’ School Delamere Drive, Stratton St Margaret, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3 4XE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 28 and 29 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Grange Infants’ is a welcoming and friendly school. Leaders and staff ensure that pupils follow the school’s motto of ‘don’t just fly, soar!’ As a result, pupils enjoy coming to school. They talk confidently about their learning and the activities they enjoy. Most parents and carers speak highly about the care and attention that staff show towards pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. The school rules help pupils to be ready to learn, respectful and safe. Pupils respond well to the school’s routines, both in and outside of the classroom. This starts in the early years where children settle quickly and are eager to learn. Across the school, the environment is calm and productive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They value the positive relationships they have with staff. Pupils say that staff listen to them and support them if they have any worries. Pupils learn how to be kind, caring and tolerant of each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of sporting, dance and musical experiences. They value becoming members of the school council. Pupils say that these roles give them a voice to make the school even better.

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better?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Staff, governors and trust leaders share these expectations. Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum that makes clear the important knowledge they want pupils to know and remember.

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better?

Leaders describe teaching pupils to read as the ‘bread and butter’ of what they do. They ensure pupils can read well and develop a love of reading. Pupils enjoy listening to the stories their teachers read to them. They talk confidently about the books they have enjoyed reading. Children learn phonics as soon as they start school. Leaders ensure that staff have the training and resources they need to teach reading effectively. The books that pupils read are well matched to the sounds they know. Staff use agreed strategies to support pupils to read. This means that pupils use their knowledge of phonics well when reading. As a result, pupils become increasingly fluent, accurate and confident readers. Teachers use assessment well to identify gaps in pupils’ reading knowledge. If pupils fall behind, they receive the support they need to keep up.

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better?

The curriculum is well planned and sequenced in several subjects, such as mathematics and computing. In these subjects the curriculum prepares pupils well for their next steps. For example, in the early years, the computing curriculum provides children with secure knowledge that builds in Year 1. Staff have strong subject knowledge. They explain subjects clearly so that pupils understand their learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils develop and apply their mathematical vocabulary well and solve mathematical problems. Teaching revisits important 28 and 29 June 2023

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knowledge so that pupils remember more. In mathematics, pupils talk about what they know and recall their learning.

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Teaching often includes checks on what pupils know and remember to inform future learning. Where this occurs, for example in reading and mathematics, assessment is used effectively. However, assessment is not used as well in some areas of the curriculum. Sometimes teaching does not check what pupils understand. As a result, pupils do not build on what they already know.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders identify and assess their needs quickly. Staff know pupils well. However, pupil support plans are not precise. This means that some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should.

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Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning, including in the early years. Children take turns and play well together. Disruptions to learning are rare. This enables pupils to get on with their learning.

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Leaders support pupils’ personal development well. Pupils understand the importance of healthy eating and keeping fit. Pupils learn about difference and understand the importance of treating others kindly.

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Governors and trust leaders share leaders’ vision and know the school well. Staff appreciate the sense of community and teamwork that exists. They value the way in which leaders consider their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a priority for the school.

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Safeguarding

Staff and governors receive regular training. They know how to recognise and report concerns. Leaders are quick to respond to concerns. They make sure that pupils and families get timely and appropriate support. Leaders work with other agencies effectively. Leaders carry out checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils in the school.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. They understand the importance of sharing their concerns with a trusted adult.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, assessment is not yet used well. It does not check that pupils have remembered the knowledge they have been taught or inform next steps in learning. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge well over time. 28 and 29 June 2023

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Leaders need to ensure that teachers use assessment across all subjects to identify what pupils know, understand and can do and to inform future learning.  The needs of some pupils with SEND are not always met well. Individual support plans are not precise enough. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should. Leaders and staff must improve the quality and effectiveness of support plans to better meet the needs of all pupils with SEND.

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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. 28 and 29 June 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Grange Infants’ School became an academy school on 1 March 2019. When its predecessor school, Grange Infants’ School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be requires improvement overall.  Grange Infants’ School is part of the White Horse Federation multi-academy trust.  A new principal and assistant principal have been appointed since the last inspection in 2019.  A new chair of local governing board has been appointed this academic year.  The school uses one alternative provider.

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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. 28 and 29 June 2023

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 Inspectors met with the principal, senior leaders, the chair of the local governing board, the special educational needs coordinator and groups of staff.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 and 2 read.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, the inspector met 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 a meeting with the chief executive officer of the trust, accompanied by a director.  Inspectors considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding. An inspector also scrutinised the school’s single central record. An inspector spoke to governors and trust leaders about

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safeguarding practices.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The lead inspector spoke with the alternative provider used by the school.  An inspector spoke with parents at the start of the day. Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View online survey. Inspectors also took into consideration the responses to the surveys for staff and parents.

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Inspection team

Nicky McMahon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jen Southall His Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 June 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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