Greatwood Community Primary School

Inspection of Greatwood Community Primary School Pinhaw Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 2SJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Jonelle Yeoman. This school is part of Northern Star Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Jenn Plews, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Helen Flynn.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Greatwood Community Primary School as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection of the predecessor school. 12 and 13 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Greatwood Community Primary School are well cared for and enjoy positive relationships with adults. They are happy to come to school, which is reflected in high levels of attendance. The school offers high-quality pastoral support to pupils and their families. This is a school that serves its community well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve. There is a determination to remove barriers to learning and achievement. The curriculum extends beyond the academic. The school offers pupils a wide range of experiences through its outdoor education curriculum. For example, pupils can learn how to keep bees or how to build a dry-stone wall. By the end of key stage 2, pupils achieve highly. However, pupils in key stage 1 do not perform as well as their peers nationally. The school is taking action to address this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in school. For the most part, they show respect for each other and adults. Pupils have a great deal of confidence in the adults in school. They know that they will sort out any worries or problems that they might have. Many pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is broad and, in many subjects, ambitious. In most subjects, systems are in place to check what pupils know and remember. The school considers the early years curriculum alongside the curriculum for Years 1 to 6. Children in early years benefit from high-quality interactions with adults. This helps them to develop their communication and language skills. Activities within the provision give children opportunities to practise and refine a range of skills. This includes, for example, early writing, fine and gross motor skills.

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better?

There has been a particular focus recently on developing the mathematics curriculum. This is now coherently planned and sequenced from early years through to Year 6. It is evident that this is beginning to have an impact. Pupils recognise that they are getting better at mathematics. They can talk with confidence about their learning. In some subjects, such as art and design, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of development. Here, pupils are less clear about what they have been taught and do not remember their learning long-term.

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better?

Reading is a priority for the school. Pupils start learning to read as soon as they start school. Adults choose high-quality texts to read to pupils. The school’s phonics programme is securely embedded. All staff are trained in how to teach phonics. Pupils’ reading books generally match the sounds that they know. Staff quickly identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind with learning to read. However, the support that these pupils receive to catch up is not as effective as it could be. Pupils have positive attitudes towards reading. They can talk about their favourite books and authors. Pupils particularly enjoy using the school’s book vending machine. 12 and 13 October 2023

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Over recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). With the support of the trust, the school has put strong provision in place for these pupils. Staff are trained on how to meet a range of different needs. Pupils with SEND have full access to the academic curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities.

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The school has a consistent approach to managing behaviour. Pupils are very clear that everyone in their school is treated equally. As a result, the environment in school is calm and orderly. Lessons are free from low-level disruption, although pupils say that occasionally there can be some off-task behaviour.

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The school is committed to pupils’ personal development. There is a very strong extra-curricular offer in place. Residential visits enable pupils to develop their confidence and resilience while taking part in team activities. There is a wide range of after-school clubs on offer. These develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils have opportunities to perform with a local, professional orchestra. There are some aspects of pupils’ personal development though, which are not as well developed as others. For example, pupils find it difficult to talk about fundamental British values and demonstrate a lack of understanding of different faiths.

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The trust supports the school effectively. Staff have regular opportunities for professional development. Their workload and well-being are considered and they appreciate this. The governing body carries out its duties well. Governors have a secure knowledge of the school. They offer challenge and support to leaders. The school has formed positive relationships with parents and carers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The support currently in place for the weakest readers is not effective. This means that pupils are not catching up with their peers quickly enough. The school should ensure that the support for these pupils is sharply focused on addressing the gaps in their phonics knowledge to enable them to become competent, fluent readers.  In some subjects, such as art and religious education, the curriculum is not sufficiently well planned to help pupils to remember their learning long-term. As a result, pupils cannot talk about their learning in these subjects, or they have confused knowledge. Leaders should ensure that in all subjects, key knowledge is identified and there are opportunities for pupils to revisit prior learning so that knowledge becomes embedded. 12 and 13 October 2023

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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’ 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). 12 and 13 October 2023

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School details

Website www.greatwoodcommunityprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Northern Star Academies Trust. It became an academy in September 2020.  The school has a nursery. It takes children from the term after their third birthday.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  There has been a significant increase in the number of pupils with SEND who attend the school in recent years.  The school has before- and after-school childcare provision. This is operated by the governing body.

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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. 12 and 13 October 2023

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 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 met with the headteacher, assistant headteachers and the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator as well as the chair and other members of the governing body. They also met with trust leaders, including the chief executive officer, chair of trustees, director of school improvement and director of inclusion and well-being.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, English and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects, for example computing and

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physical education.  Pupils were observed reading to familiar adults.  Inspectors met with staff to discuss the school’s offer for outdoor education.  The school’s offer for pupils’ wider development was considered.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during breaktimes was observed.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors 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 responses made by parents to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments were considered as part of the inspection. Inspectors also considered the responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Philippa Kermotschuk, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Judy Shaw Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 October 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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