Morecambe and Heysham Grosvenor Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Morecambe and Heysham Grosvenor Park Primary School Roeburn Drive, Grosvenor Park, Morecambe, Lancashire LA3 3RY

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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Outcome

Morecambe and Heysham Grosvenor Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Grosvenor Park Primary School enjoy coming to school each day. Parents and carers were overwhelmingly positive about their children’s experiences at school. Parents said that the staff go the extra mile for pupils. Staff build strong, positive and supportive relationships with pupils and their families.

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What is it like to attend this school?

During lessons, pupils try their best. They feel safe in school because they know that teachers will help them to sort out any minor problems that they may have. Pupils behave well at social times. They are eager to earn credits for positive behaviour. For example, they are proud when teachers nominate them to be a ‘VIP’ for the week.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils achieve well. Added to this, they are highly motivated by the mathematics and spelling challenges that staff organise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy playing together in the school’s well-equipped playground. Older pupils take care of the younger ones. Pupils, including children in the early years, learn to take turns and share equipment with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wide variety of extra-curricular experiences available to them. These range from rock climbing and beach walks to stop-motion photography and golf. They are proud to take on leadership roles such as being elected as a member of the school’s parliament or by working as an eco-warrior.

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

The school has prioritised the teaching of reading. From the start of the Reception Year, children enjoy listening to a broad range of stories. In the early years, teachers skilfully incorporate a variety of interesting and appropriate books into children’s learning. 13 and 14 September 2023

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As pupils move into key stage 1, they read regularly and they apply their phonic knowledge with increasing confidence. Staff understand how to support pupils to develop their fluency in reading. The school ensures that pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know. If pupils struggle with reading, teachers provide appropriate support to ensure that these pupils catch up quickly with their peers. Older pupils enjoy the many reading opportunities that they have. For example, they felt particularly inspired by recent poetry workshops.

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The school has developed an ambitious curriculum designed to meet pupils’ needs and interests. From the early years, adults encourage children to join in and be curious about their learning. Effective conversations with adults help to develop children’s vocabulary. In the main, teachers are clear about the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils will learn as they progress through the curriculum.

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In a small number of subjects, however, the school has not finalised the knowledge that pupils should know and when this content should be delivered. This means that, in these subjects, teachers are less clear about how to design activities that support pupils to build their knowledge over time.

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For the most part, teachers check that pupils understand earlier learning before they move on to new ideas. If pupils struggle, teachers make sure that effective extra support is in place. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and they explain concepts clearly. This helps most pupils to learn well.

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Pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers. The school has suitable systems in place to identify pupils’ additional needs quickly and accurately. Staff work closely with a range of external specialists. This helps teachers to understand how to adapt the delivery of the curriculum and to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

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Children in the early years settle into school quickly and they learn to follow routines. Across the school, pupils are polite and courteous to each other and adults. On the rare occasions that pupils misbehave, teachers apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently well. This prevents disruption to learning.

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Pupils learn about their rights and responsibilities. They understand the importance of making everyone feel welcome. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. For instance, they talked about the importance of eating a balanced diet and how physical activity can help them to look after their mental health. Nevertheless, some pupils’ understanding of other faiths and cultures is not as developed as it could be.

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The school works diligently to ensure that parents are kept fully informed about how well their children are learning the curriculum.

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While some governors have recently changed their roles, they have an accurate view of the quality of education for pupils. They provide effective support and challenge to the school. 13 and 14 September 2023

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Staff are extremely proud to work at this school. They said that they feel highly valued and appreciate how the school makes every effort to keep their workload manageable. Staff commented that this positively impacts on their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school is still in the process of finalising the knowledge that pupils should learn and when this content should be delivered and assessed in a small number of subjects. This means that, in these subjects, teachers are not as confident to design activities that support pupils to build their knowledge securely. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers are clear about what pupils should learn and the order in which this content should be delivered.  The school has not ensured that some pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of some different faiths and cultures. This prevents these pupils from having sufficient knowledge about the diversity of modern Britain. The school should ensure that pupils develop a secure understanding of a range of faiths and cultures that are different to their own.

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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 October 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. 13 and 14 September 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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and other members of staff.  The inspector met with some governors and held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the 13 and 14 September 2023

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curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils read to a trusted adult.  The inspector observed pupil’s behaviour during playtimes and while in lessons.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. The inspector met with parents to gather their views and opinions about the school.

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Inspection team

Sarah Barraclough, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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