Granton Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Granton Primary School Granton Road, Streatham, London SW16 5AN

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 February 2024

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Outcome

Granton Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely proud to attend this school. They excel in their learning and refer to their school as a ‘family’. Pupils feel safe and are taught how to be safe. They are confident that if they had any worries they could speak to any adult for support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has the highest aspirations for every pupil. The school motto ‘excellence for all’ is reflected in the high-quality education provided. Pupils are happy, eager to attend school, motivated to learn and achieve highly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. This is because working relationships are strong. Pupils feel very well cared for. There is a palpable sense of belonging across the school. The school celebrates and embraces diversity. It provides rich opportunities for every pupil. This ensures that all pupils access unique experiences and bespoke support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers value the exceptional education their children receive. As one parent commented, the school ‘leaves no stone unturned’, ensuring that every pupil succeeds. Governors and staff share the vision of excellence for all that binds the school community.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has thought deeply about the knowledge and skills pupils must learn. The curriculum is strengthened in all subjects by the extensive expertise within school. Subject content is broken down and sequenced meticulously. Pupils develop deep knowledge and understanding that builds on, and strengthens, prior learning. As a result, all pupils meet the high ambitions the school sets.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers deliver the curriculum well and with precision. This includes teachers at the early stages of their career. This is because they are provided with high-quality training and development which builds on staff expertise. 28 and 29 February 2024

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There is a consistent approach to delivering subject content matched to the needs of pupils. Staff focus on developing pupils’ language, for instance through the targeted teaching of key vocabulary from the early years. The teaching of mathematics is broken down into small and manageable steps. For example, in Reception, staff enabled children to understand subitising through regular practice. This detailed teaching of number helps pupils in the early years to be fully ready for Year 1.

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Teachers prioritise building on pupils’ prior learning. This supports pupils to develop deep knowledge and skills across the curriculum. For example, in geography, pupils study about settlements in Year 2. In Year 6, pupils apply this knowledge to understand the impact of emerging megacities in China. Staff check pupils’ understanding systematically. They identify and address any misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ learning quickly. For example, ‘retrieval roulette’ developed in-house is routinely used so that pupils regularly revise subject-specific content.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive very strong support. Teachers adapt learning for all pupils skilfully. This supports pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve excellently across the curriculum. The school uses additional and bespoke support for pupils with SEND expertly.

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Reading sits at the heart of everyday learning in the school. Leaders have selected rich and varied texts for pupils to read regularly. Pupils love to read often and widely. The approach to teaching phonics is expertly led and consistently implemented. Staff teach pupils to read extremely well throughout the school. This is because of the school’s strong focus on staff’s professional development and training. Staff enable pupils to read fluently and with confidence. A small number of pupils who require support with reading receive expert support.

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Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary. They concentrate on learning very well across the school. Pupils behave with kindness and respect, modelling the school’s expectations for ‘kind words, kind hands, kind feet’. They are industrious, enthusiastic learners who value and respect the adults that support them. Leaders have a strong grasp of pupils who have low attendance. They provide appropriate challenge and support to address absences. The school works closely with families and external agencies to improve pupils’ attendance.

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The school promotes pupils’ wider development carefully. Significant emphasis is placed on every child benefiting from the vast range of experiences provided. Pupils learn about health, safety, relationships and life in modern Britain. They enjoy developing their understanding of democracy and leadership through the school council.

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Governors are deeply committed and connected to the school. They are unwavering in their support of leaders’ ambitions. The governing body understands its responsibilities in providing challenge to the school effectively. It keeps a close eye on staff’s workload and well-being. Leaders support staff to undertake their roles and be invested in the school’s ongoing success. 28 and 29 February 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in July 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 28 and 29 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 held discussions with the executive headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. The inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection. 28 and 29 February 2024

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 Inspectors looked at documents such as the school’s wider curriculum offer and how leaders support staff with their workload.  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.  Inspectors also considered the views of parents through their responses to Ofsted Parent View and the views of staff and pupils through surveys.

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Inspection team

Sophie Cavanagh, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Barry Blakelock Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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