Glenthorne Community Primary School

Inspection of Glenthorne Community Primary School Glenthorne Drive, Cheslyn Hay, Walsall, Staffordshire WS6 7BZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 16 and 17 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Glenthorne Community Primary School has high ambition for all pupils who attend. It aims to develop the ‘whole child’. Parents agree that the school achieves this ambition. One parent’s comment was typical of many when they stated, ‘Glenthorne is truly a special school that serves the community well and helps to nurture the personal potential of all children in their care.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and learning with their friends. They are polite and friendly to each other and to adults. They are very welcoming and confident when speaking with visitors. Pupils work and play well together. They know the school rules of ‘Be ready, be respectful and be safe’ off by heart. Pupils behave well and very little learning time is lost.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a strong sense of equality. They are kind to each other and are understanding of each other’s differences and views. The school offers an extensive and impressive programme of personal development, which is appreciated by the pupils. Additionally, the school has established strong connections with another school that is more culturally diverse, and these connections have helped deepen the pupils’ understanding and appreciation of other cultures.

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better?

The school has a well-organised curriculum that develops pupils’ knowledge and expertise across a broad range of subjects. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum as their peers. The curriculum builds learning in a logical way to meet the needs of all pupils. This is particularly the case in English and mathematics, where this logical order starts in the early years. However, in a few subjects, the content pupils learn in the early years does not deliberately prepare pupils for what is to come next.

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better?

Over the week, there are opportunities for pupils to revisit what they have been taught in previous topics. This approach is helping pupils to remember what they had learned a while ago. Teachers use assessment information effectively to identify and address any gaps in learning which may occur.

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better?

The teaching of reading is a high priority. Pupils develop knowledge of a wide range of authors and genres. This starts in the two-year-old provision, where children are keen to share and talk about books with adults, inside and outside. Pupils love to read, especially to Nellie, the school dog. As a result, pupils develop into keen readers and are able to use a wide range of reading strategies. Staff deliver the phonics programme effectively. This results in pupils learning sounds well. They practise these when reading books in school. However, the books sent home for pupils to read are not as well matched to the sounds they are learning in school. This limits the pupils’ opportunities to practise the sounds they are learning and this slows their learning. 16 and 17 April 2024

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Children in the early years cooperate well together. Provision for two-year-olds has recently been established. Staff across early years plan interesting learning activities that develop children’s communication skills and independence. The planned learning is broad and covers all areas of learning, starting with the youngest children.

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The needs of pupils with SEND are particularly well catered for. There is a multifaceted approach in identifying and meeting their individual needs. Parents are fully included and appreciate this. In lessons, teachers skilfully adapt learning for pupils with SEND. This helps them to learn well alongside their peers.

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Leaders pay serious attention to pupils’ personal development. It is a real strength of this school. Pupils benefit from a range of well-planned experiences that enhance their learning. The ‘Glenthorne Goals’ enable pupils in each key stage to apply learning in real life. These goals include ‘know how to look after and walk a dog’ and ‘cook a meal from scratch’. Pupils contribute to school life in a wide range of ways. For example, by being prefects, ‘learning leaders’ and head boy and girl. As a result, they help to support and improve many aspects of school life.

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Governors are extremely well skilled and trained. They have an accurate overview of what the school does well and what it needs to do to improve. They listen and respond to staff views regarding their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The books that pupils take home to read are not always well matched to the sounds they are learning. This hinders some pupils’ reading confidence and fluency. The school should ensure that the books pupils read at home are more closely matched to the sounds that pupils are learning.  In some subjects, the curriculum does not build logically from the early years to key stage 1. This means pupils learning does not always build on what pupils have done before. This slows their learning. The school should ensure that all subject curriculum thinking fully considers what children should learn with early years as a starting point. 16 and 17 April 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 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). 16 and 17 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school has provision for two-year-old children.  There has been a change of headteacher since the previous inspection.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 16 and 17 April 2024

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 During the inspection, the lead inspector held meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. He met three members of the governing board. He also held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, English, mathematics, history and physical education. They met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and viewed examples of pupils’ work. An inspector also spoke to leaders about science, music and geography.  An inspector observed children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 read to

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a trusted adult.  The inspectors spoke with members of staff about their workload and well-being.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  The inspectors considered the responses, including the free-text comments, to Ofsted Parent View. They also considered the responses to the staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors spoke to parents at the beginning and end of the school day.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school’s improvement priorities, school policies, curriculum documents, SEND records, behaviour records, attendance records and minutes of meetings held by the governing board.

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Inspection team

Barry Yeardsley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Amarjit Cheema Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 April 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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