Greenleas School

Inspection of Greenleas School Derwent Road, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 2AB

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 February 2024

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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 Requires improvement 14 and 15 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Greenleas School, pupils are happy and engage well with their learning. They have a positive attitude towards school and attend well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to be responsible by taking on roles that require leadership and teamwork. They volunteer for important roles. These include being play leaders who organise games and activities, or members of the school council who represent their peers and voice their opinions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures that pupils feel safe and are well looked after. Pupils know that they can speak with staff or use the ‘worry box’ if they have any concerns. This helps pupils to feel secure and ready to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils typically demonstrate good behaviour in lessons and play well together at breaktimes. However, some pupils need extra and tailored support from adults to engage positively in school activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop a love of reading from the beginning of their school journey. The school offers inviting book corners and a library that motivates pupils to read. As a result, pupils enjoy reading and many learn to read fluently.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The vast majority of parents and carers are overwhelmingly happy with what the school offers. Many parents describe the school as being ‘wonderful’, ‘nurturing’ and ‘fantastic’.

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better?

The school has ensured a sharp focus on improving the curriculum. Curriculum plans show what pupils should learn and when. Teachers deliver the curriculum effectively in line with leaders’ plans.

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better?

Children embark on their educational journey with a strong start in pre-school. Leaders have developed a well-structured early years curriculum. This means children build on their learning from pre-school into the early years and beyond. Lessons in the early years provide children with a variety of resources that support their development of confidence, independence and communication skills. As a result, children are well prepared for Year 1.

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better?

The school has developed an effective approach to the teaching of reading. Adults teach phonics well. This means that, from the early years, children learn the fundamental skills that they need to read fluently. Staff quickly identify and support pupils who need extra help. The school shows parents how to support reading at home. Pupils across the school enjoy hearing stories read by adults. A wide range of quality and diverse books are available for all pupils to enjoy. Pupils know the value of reading for learning as well as for enjoyment. As a result, many pupils become confident and enthusiastic readers. 14 and 15 February 2024

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In most subjects, teachers teach pupils skills and knowledge that build on prior learning. Most pupils can recall confidently their learning over time across curriculum subjects. There are effective systems in place to check how well pupils learn. This means gaps in learning are usually identified and addressed. However, on a few occasions, teachers do not check and adjust the learning promptly during lessons. This means some pupils do not learn the key knowledge successfully. Others are not moved on in their learning as quickly as they should be. This hinders some pupils’ achievement.

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The school swiftly identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This ensures immediate and effective support. Trained staff successfully implement adaptations to address a range of diverse and complex needs. This is enabling pupils with SEND to access the curriculum and be successful in their learning. As a result, pupils make strong progress in their social and emotional needs as well as their academic learning.

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Most staff use the behaviour systems well to help pupils manage their behaviour and engage in their learning confidently. Additional training is under way to strengthen staff confidence in applying the new behaviour systems consistently. Leaders recognise the necessity to further clarify the school’s behavioural expectations to parents and the methods used to support the behaviour of all pupils.

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The school prioritises pupil well-being and ensures that the most vulnerable pupils and their families receive the specific support they need. This helps them to benefit from all the school offers. Pupils feel safe and value that they have opportunities to share their feelings with a trusted adult. The school helps pupils to stay healthy by teaching them about a balanced diet and exercise. Pupils enjoy termly trips that link to the curriculum. There are visits from external speakers who enrich pupils’ knowledge. Pupils respect and celebrate the diversity of cultures and faiths in society. Pupils develop as confident and respectful citizens.

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Staff appreciate the targeted training they receive. They value how this training empowers them to be inclusive. Leaders have high regard for staff’s dedication and commitment towards improving the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes teachers do not check carefully what pupils understand. This means that some pupils’ learning is not as secure as it needs to be. The school needs to ensure that teachers constantly and consistently check pupils’ understanding, therefore ensuring that pupils are remembering what they have been taught. 14 and 15 February 2024

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 Several parents responding to Ofsted’s survey have voiced concerns regarding the conduct of some pupils and the impact it is having on their own children. To address this, the school must reassure parents by initiating transparent communication, detailing the behaviour policies and interventions in place, and actively involve parents in understanding and supporting these measures.

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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). 14 and 15 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 September 2021, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school has two sites registered as one school. A separate site opened at Kestrel Way, Leighton Buzzard LU7 4WZ in 2013. The headteacher works over both sites. There is a deputy headteacher at each site.  At each site there is pre-school and nursery provision. Each site has two classes in Reception and Years 1, 2, 3 and 4.  There are breakfast clubs and after-school clubs at each site that are managed by the school.

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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. 14 and 15 February 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met members of the governing body and held a telephone meeting with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design, design and technology, science and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. The inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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.  The inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also spoke with several parents as part of the inspection.  The inspector considered the views of staff and pupils through meetings and informal discussions, and through their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Cindy Impey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ray Lau Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 February 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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