Glen Hills Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Glen Hills Primary School Featherby Drive, Glen Parva, Leicester, Leicestershire LE2 9NY

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Outcome

Glen Hills Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Rebecca Wesley. This school is part of Symphony Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Tim Sutcliffe, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nigel Harrison.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The motto ‘education today for tomorrow’ is realised at this school. Pupils feel happy and safe. They enjoy learning and know that staff act in their best interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff share high ambitions for all pupils. Everyone works together to help pupils to be the very best they can be. Reading is prioritised in recognition that this is the key to future success. Pupils work hard and achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is excellent in lessons and around school. Expectations are clear, and staff model these daily. Pupils are respectful and tolerant. They recognise and value their different backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths, cultures and views. In the words of one pupil, ‘Everyone is welcome here – equality matters!’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders enhance school life by providing a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Pupils love yarn bomb, gardening, mini models, basketball and craft clubs, to name a few. The club offer has something for everyone. It is further supplemented by theme days, trips and visits. For example, pupils experienced a Victorian day and make visits to the local church.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate the way that the school focuses on the whole child. They are very supportive of the school.

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

In Reception, children get off to a strong start and flourish. Communication, language and mathematical learning are purposeful. Children are motivated and settled. 19 and 20 March 2024

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Strong teaching of reading starts in Reception and continues across school. Children learn sounds through a well-structured approach. They practise using these in books that precisely match the sounds that they know. Phonics teaching is effective. Staff expertly use consistent strategies to help pupils practise sounds and tricky words. Extra help is provided for pupils who need it, ensuring that they keep up. The reading curriculum includes different themes, genres and cultures. It focuses on developing fluency and confidence.

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Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. Detailed plans identify the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils will learn. Planning is carefully sequenced to ensure that pupils build on their learning over time.

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Staff have had the training they need to teach subjects well. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly. They use strategies to help pupils use their prior learning. Staff routinely check what pupils know and remember. They provide extra help for any pupils who need it or who are at risk of falling behind. If pupils need extra challenge, staff ensure they get this. Most pupils learn and remember what they have been taught. However, some pupils do not remember as much knowledge as others. Some pupils remember the activities that they have done rather than the important knowledge intended. Leaders recognise this. They have started to make links between subjects clearer, to help pupils remember more of their learning.

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Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Pupils’ SEND are accurately identified. Leaders are clear that the planned curriculum is for all pupils. Suitable adaptations are in place to make sure that all pupils understand and can keep up. When external help is needed, staff work with relevant agencies to provide this. Staff work to ensure that potential barriers to learning are broken down for all pupils. Disadvantaged pupils achieve well alongside their peers.

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Relationships are warm and friendly. Expectations of learning and behaviour are rooted in mutual respect. Low-level disruption is rare. Pupils know what is expected of them, work hard and try their best. Staff model the school’s expectations. Pupils use their ‘character muscles’, which supports the behaviour approach. Pupils know how to focus, self-manage and be empathetic. Pupils know what bullying is. Pupils, parents and staff agree that bullying is rare. They know that leaders take it seriously and act quickly if it does happen.

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Personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils thrive, having been provided with an array of enrichment opportunities. The wider curriculum was designed with pupils and the community in mind. Pupils learn about fundamental British values and protected characteristics. They have a strong understanding of the importance of equality and diversity. Pupils are proud to take on leadership roles, for example as school councillors or well-being ambassadors.

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Governors know the school well and understand their statutory duties. The support and challenge they offer is effective. The trust provides strong support. School leaders and staff enjoy working at Glen Hills. They feel valued and know that leaders consider their workload and well-being. Leaders ensure that staff get the support they need, including those who are new to the profession. 19 and 20 March 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In foundation subjects, knowledge is progressively mapped across all year groups and subjects. However, not all conceptual links between subjects have yet been fully mapped out. Pupils do not always remember and connect prior learning between subjects as effectively as they might. The school should ensure that the work that has already been started is continued, clarifying the conceptual links across and between all subjects and year groups, so that pupils know and remember more over time.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. 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 good in October 2018.

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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. 19 and 20 March 2024

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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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 October 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Symphony Learning Trust.  The school has a local governing board that oversees the school.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school care club for pupils who attend the school.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, she discussed the curriculum with subject 19 and 20 March 2024

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector looked at subject plans and spoke with pupils and leaders about some other subjects.  The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the actions taken to keep pupils safe. She reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record, considering the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector met with leaders responsible for behaviour, personal development, the early years and the provision for pupils with SEND.  The inspector met with groups of pupils from key stages 1 and 2. She spoke informally to pupils outside at breaktimes.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation

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and improvement plan.  The inspector met with members of the local governing board, the CEO of the Symphony Learning Trust and the director of primaries.  The inspector considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the results of Ofsted’s staff and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Alison Talbot, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 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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