Greenfield Primary School

Inspection of Greenfield Primary School Hill Street, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 1AL

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. 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. 12 and 13 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Greenfield Primary School is a happy, nurturing school where pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attainment. Everybody in the school enjoys living up to the school’s motto that, ‘everyone can grow in a Greenfield.’ Pupils work hard and behave well. They follow the ‘golden rule’ to ‘treat others as you would like to be treated’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and cared for; they know that there is always an adult to talk to if they have a worry. Effective pastoral support helps pupils who might find the bustle of school life challenging. Pupils value this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the opportunities on offer to develop their talents and interests. At the time of the inspection, pupils in Years 3 and 4 were enthusiastically rehearsing for their upcoming stage performance. Trips to a local living history museum and the town library help pupils to feel part of their community. Clubs, including sports, arts and science clubs, help pupils to gain new skills and work together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s core values run through all areas of school life. Pupils learn, for example, about resilience and endeavour. From early years, children know not to give up if they don’t succeed the first time.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, the school has made some necessary changes to the curriculum. The changes have been well considered. The school has identified what pupils need to learn and when. This means that, in both the single year group and mixed age classes, pupils learn the right things, in the right order.

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better?

Starting in early years, teaching focuses on ensuring that children learn the skills they need to succeed. For example, when making clay pots for their seeds to grow in, children concentrate on rolling, squeezing, pinching and pushing the clay. This focus on precise skills means that they can all enjoy success and produce work they are rightly very proud of.

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better?

In mathematics, the school ensures that pupils have opportunities to consolidate essential skills and facts. Daily fluency lessons help pupils to build on previous learning and make links between concepts. Where pupils might need some extra practise, before- and after-school sessions give them an extra boost.

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better?

The school has rightly prioritised the teaching of reading. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme, which starts as soon as children begin school in Reception. Pupils regularly read books which match the sounds they already know. Pupils who struggle to keep up with the phonics programme are mostly given the 12 and 13 March 2024

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right support to catch up. However, the support for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is variable.

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In other subjects, the curriculum is equally as ambitious. In art, pupils enjoy opportunities to use different media and build on their skills over time. In science, there is a focus on developing investigative skills. For example, in Year 3, pupils use sound sensors to observe the effects of pitch on the distance sound can travel. In physical education (PE), learning is most successful when video examples and careful demonstrations help pupils to see what is expected of them. However, in a small number of subjects, pupils do not consistently learn and remember the specific vocabulary they need. For example, Year 2 pupils discussing mixing colours in art were not confident with the word ‘primary’ and did not know some colour names. Older pupils could not remember terms such as ‘texture’ or ‘3 dimensional’. This hampers their ability to articulate their learning and deepen their understanding.

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The school’s pastoral support helps pupils to manage and understand their feelings. The additional needs of pupils with SEND are identified quickly. Pupils with SEND particularly benefit from the very nurturing environment. However, in some lessons, in some subjects, the adaptations to help pupils with SEND to access the learning are not effective. Sometimes, they limit what pupils can learn.

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Pupils behave well. Lessons are calm and pupils move safely around school. Routines for this start in reception, where provision is strong. Pupils show respect for each other and understand difference. A small number of pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should, but the school’s work to improve attendance for these pupils is paying off. Overall attendance at school is high.

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Pupils’ broader development is well considered. For example, pupils have many opportunities to perform on stage and represent their school in sporting events. Older pupils in school take on responsibilities in school such as Head Pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The adaptations made to support the learning of pupils with SEND are not always effective. When this happens, the quality of learning for these pupils is affected. Sometimes, adaptations prevent pupils from accessing all of the curriculum content. The school should ensure that teachers receive the support and development they need to plan and put in place consistently effective adaptations for all pupils with SEND. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 In a small number of subjects, some pupils do not learn all of the subject-specific vocabulary that the school intends them to. This hampers their ability to explain their thinking and understanding. The school should further develop strategies for checking that the right key vocabulary has been identified and taught, so that pupils can use it to deepen their learning.

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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 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 10 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses no alternative provision.  On-site before- and after-school provision is run by an external provider.  The headteacher is due to leave her role on 22 March 2024. An interim headteacher will be in post until the new substantive headteacher takes up post in September 2024.

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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. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 During the inspection, the inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: reading, mathematics, PE, art and design and science. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans where they were available, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders.  The lead inspector met with the chair and representatives of the governing body and spoke to a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at lunchtime. The inspectors spoke to pupils about pupils’ behaviour.  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 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parent free- text responses. The inspectors also took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  The inspectors talked to parents and families at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Rachel Henrick, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Nadeem Bhatti Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 March 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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