Grange Primary School

Inspection of Grange Primary School Bainbridge Green, Harlescott, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 3QR

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 January 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding 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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Charlotte Summers. The school is part of Marches Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Sarah Finch, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alex Fry. 24 and 25 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Grange Primary thrive. The school’s vision of ‘achievement through caring’ is realised through the highly effective pastoral care provided for its pupils. A comment made by one parent is shared by many others: ‘The Grange isn’t just a school, it’s a family.’ Pupils feel safe and enjoy school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for what pupils can achieve. The ‘granger code’ based on the school’s values is lived and breathed in the school. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and expect them to work hard. All pupils live up to these expectations. Consequently, the school is a calm and orderly place in which to learn. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Supporting pupils’ personal development is at the heart of the school. The school encourages pupils ‘to dream big and fly high’. It provides them with an extensive range of experiences beyond the classroom. Pupils record these in their ‘Pip’s passport’. The school teaches pupils how to be responsible, active citizens. They do this by giving all pupils roles and responsibilities, such as playground leader, farm monitor or office manager. Pupils are proud to take on these roles.

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better?

The trust provides highly effective support to the school. Leaders and staff value this support. Leaders at all levels have a clear vision for the school, which is for pupils to flourish both academically and socially. Historically, some pupils have not achieved as well as they should by the end of key stage 2. However, the additional training and support provided by the trust and school leaders for teachers has improved the quality of education that the pupils are now receiving, and this is having a positive impact on pupils’ progress. All staff share leaders’ compelling vision. Leaders take staff’s workload and well-being seriously and staff feel valued and respected. All staff are proud to work at the school, which provides pupils with an environment in which they enjoy learning and achieve well.

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about what pupils will learn in different subjects. They have made changes to improve how subjects are planned and delivered. Subject leaders ensure that the curriculum is organised in a way that enables pupils to build on what they know, year on year. Teachers know what to teach and when to teach it. However, subject leaders are relatively new to their role and this has affected how well they have developed their subject areas. This has contributed to variability in teachers’ subject knowledge across subjects and this sometimes limits pupils’ progress.

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better?

Reading is a priority for the school. There is an effective reading programme in place that begins in the early years. Staff receive regular training on how to deliver it. Staff check how well pupils are reading. They put appropriate support in place for those who need it. Consequently, pupils develop into confident, fluent readers. The 24 and 25 January 2024

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value of reading is evident around the school. There is a sharp focus in early years on the development of children’s vocabulary. The school is revamping the library. Every classroom has a reading area. Authors visit the school. Pupils enjoy reading and they read widely.

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Children get off to a good start in the early years. Adults are attentive and know how to support pupils effectively. Leaders check if children in the early years and pupils in the rest of the school need extra support. They make sure that pupils who require more help get it. Staff seek specialist advice from external agencies when needed. For example, specialists work closely with the school to advise about how to meet pupils’ additional needs. This advice is included in the pupil’s person-centred plan (PCP). Staff use the information in the PCPs well to plan additional support for those who need it. So, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Pupils demonstrate high levels of self-control. Improving attendance is a school priority. Leaders take swift and appropriate action when needed and they work effectively with parents and carers. As a result, pupils’ attendance is improving over time. There are examples when the school’s work to improve the behaviour and attendance of pupils with particular needs has resulted in significant improvements.

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The school enhances pupils’ personal development exceptionally well. It provides pupils with a wide range of activities beyond the classroom. There are several after- school clubs for pupils on offer. This includes football, cricket and science. Pupils visit places of worship, a local farm and a museum. Residential trips are offered to all pupils. Parents speak positively about these opportunities for their children. They say these experiences help to build their children’s confidence and independence.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

n Teachers have recently taken on the role of subject leaders. However, they have not received all the necessary training to fully develop their subjects and embed the revised curriculum. This has led to some variability in how well the curriculum is implemented, which sometimes limits pupils’ progress. The school should ensure that all subject leaders have the appropriate knowledge and skills to positively impact curriculum implementation and address any gaps in pupils’ learning. 24 and 25 January 2024

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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 so- cial 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). 24 and 25 January 2024

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School details

Website www.grangeprimaryshrewsbury.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Grange Primary School converted to become an academy in September 2019. When its predecessor school, of the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The academy is part of Marches Academy Trust. The trust consists of 11 academies.  The academy uses one registered alternative provision.  The academy provides wraparound care that is managed by the academy.

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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. 24 and 25 January 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher and a member of the trust’s executive team. The lead inspector met with the school’s link trustee and the chair and vice-chair of the governing body. An inspector met online with the chair of the trustees. The lead inspector also spoke on the telephone with of a representative from the alternative provision used by the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, art and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspectors had 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.

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 The inspectors considered the responses, including free-text comments, to Ofsted Parent View. They also considered the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.

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Inspection team

Lesley Yates, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ed Leighton Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 January 2024

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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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