Greswell Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of Greswell Primary School and Nursery Percy Road, Denton, Manchester M34 2DH

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 September 2023

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 26 and 27 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Greswell Primary School and Nursery is a happy and welcoming place. Pupils, and children in the early years, value being part of the ‘Greswell family’. During their time at the school, pupils become confident and well-rounded citizens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of all pupils, including the large number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils live up to these high expectations. They learn well and contribute to the school’s positive and respectful ethos.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave impeccably. They abide by the school’s ‘PROUD’ rules and follow routines as a matter of habit. They demonstrate a can-do attitude in lessons and are considerate of others at playtimes and around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about equality and the beauty of difference. Through the books they read and the topics they study, they learn to be inclusive and accepting of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish when given responsibility. They grow in confidence as members of the school council and eco-committee and when fulfilling roles such as sports leaders, reading monitors and playground buddies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school promotes healthy living relentlessly. As part of this, pupils take part in a wide range of sports and activities. They feel honoured to represent the school in different sports.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is highly ambitious. All pupils, irrespective of their starting points, follow the same broad and aspirational curriculum. The school has thought deeply about what pupils should learn. In all subjects, pupils now acquire a well- considered body of knowledge.

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better?

Recently, the school has thought hard about what children should learn in the early years to prepare them for key stage 1. Staff have started to teach this knowledge to children in the Nursery and Reception classes. However, in the past, children in the early years have been prepared well to learn some national curriculum subjects but not others. As a result, for example, some pupils currently in key stage 1 have not been well prepared to learn history because they have left the early years without a basic knowledge of time.

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better?

The school has made significant improvements to the teaching of some subjects. This has dramatically improved pupils’ learning. The way pupils learn to read has been transformed since the last inspection. Staff are experts in teaching early reading. Their teaching enables almost all pupils to become technically accurate readers. Staff skilfully support pupils who find some aspects of reading difficult. This enables them to keep up with their classmates. 26 and 27 September 2023

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The school has also improved the quality of education in mathematics. Staff were concerned that some pupils had developed significant gaps in their mathematical knowledge during the pandemic. To address this, they have become more adept at identifying gaps in pupils’ learning. This enables them to amend the curriculum to focus their teaching where the need is greatest. As a result, most pupils’ learning in mathematics is more secure than in the recent past.

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Staff have good knowledge of the subjects they teach. In each subject, they use appropriate strategies and activities to help pupils learn. They are typically quick to identify pupils who are struggling. They intervene decisively to correct any misunderstandings. In most subjects, teachers use their assessment of pupils’ learning to adapt the curriculum. This helps them to address gaps. However, this is not the case in all subjects.

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The school identifies and helps pupils with SEND capably. Staff quickly spot when a pupil is finding learning particularly difficult. They then ensure that pupils receive the help they need to learn and develop well. The school makes good use of external professionals. For example, speech and language therapists provide effective support for the increasing number of pupils who face challenges when communicating.

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The school’s culture is built on warm and respectful relationships. Staff know the children and pupils exceptionally well. They support their social and emotional development. The pastoral team helps pupils who sometimes find it difficult to regulate their behaviour well. This ensures that most of these pupils improve their conduct over time.

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Pupils develop a rich knowledge of diversity. They learn about different religions and cultures. This is enhanced by their links to a local school which has a high proportion of Muslim pupils.

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Leaders engage purposefully with parents and carers, and the local community. Staff in the early years work in close partnership with parents to ensure that their children quickly settle and develop. Similarly, they work collaboratively with parents to review and plan support for pupils with SEND.

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Staff feel that leaders genuinely care for them. They value the steps that they take to promote their well-being and to ensure that their workload is manageable. They appreciate the time they are given to develop the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 26 and 27 September 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school’s thinking about what children in the early years should know is recent. This has left some children in the early years unprepared to study a few national curriculum subjects by the time they leave the Reception Year. The school should implement the planned changes quickly and effectively to ensure that pupils are well prepared to study all subjects in Year 1.  In a few subjects, teachers do not use assessment well enough to pinpoint which aspects of the curriculum pupils know and understand, and which they do not. The school should ensure that, in all subjects, teachers identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and adapt teaching effectively to address them.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents 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’ 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). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chairs of governing body Tynan Carroll and Owen Rees

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision for the education of any pupils.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is well above the national average and has grown significantly in recent years.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, history, art and design, and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with leaders, discussed curriculums, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their 26 and 27 September 2023

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learning and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. They also spoke to teachers about their teaching of these subjects. The lead inspector observed pupils from Year 1 to Year 3 reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, other leaders and staff.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the two chairs of the governing body. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with different groups of pupils to gather their views of the school. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at playtime and lunchtime.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. They also considered responses to the Ofsted online surveys for staff and pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation. This included the school development plan, minutes of governing body meetings and leaders’ self- evaluation document.

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Inspection team

Will Smith, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alex Farrow Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 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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