Greenbank Primary School

Inspection of Greenbank Primary School Mossley Avenue, Liverpool, Merseyside L18 1JB

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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 Good 2 and 3 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are confident and happy in school. They value the care that they receive from staff, who know pupils as individuals. Pupils are considerate and compassionate towards each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils strive to uphold the school’s code of conduct. They are polite and show exceptional levels of respect to adults and to each other. Pupils are attentive in lessons. They move calmly around the school building.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many extra-curricular activities on offer. They develop their own interests through opportunities, such as chess, dance and basketball club. They particularly appreciate the chance to learn outdoors, in the school’s woodland area. Pupils relish the opportunities to perform as a choir at the cathedral. Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about their recent residential visit.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their diverse community. They enjoy meeting the many visitors to school. Pupils shared their recent experience of the Eid playground party with excitement. They appreciate the range of experiences that the school offers to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils rise to these aspirations and typically achieve well across different areas of the curriculum.

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better?

The school has made teaching pupils to read a priority. It provides staff with suitable training, so that they deliver the phonics programme well. Children start to learn the sounds that letters make at the very start of the Reception Year. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 read books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge. Those pupils who find learning to read more difficult benefit from well- tailored support. This allows them to catch up with their peers. Older pupils spoke with pleasure about the stories that they have read and their favourite authors.

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better?

The school places a sharp focus on developing children’s and pupils’ language and vocabulary from the start of the Nursery Year through to Year 6. For example, children in the early years are regularly encouraged to repeat new words aloud. They share their ‘special words’ with a real sense of achievement. They build an extensive range of vocabulary through the curriculum.

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better?

The school has successfully developed an ambitious and well-organised curriculum. In most subjects, the curriculum sets out clearly what pupils will learn across each year group. In some other subjects this is less clear. This means that teachers are not sure what knowledge they should teach and emphasise in these subjects. At times, this results in pupils not securing new knowledge. 2 and 3 July 2024

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In most subjects, the school has thought carefully about how to check what pupils know and remember of their learning. In some other subjects, the school’s approach to assessment has only been developed recently. In these subjects, teachers are not as adept at identifying gaps in pupils’ learning. On occasion, this hampers teachers from designing learning that builds on what pupils already know.

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In the main, pupils achieve well. However, the school’s published data in 2023 shows that, by the end of Year 6, pupils’ progress in mathematics was significantly below the national average. The school has introduced new approaches to strengthen its mathematics curriculum and the way that it is delivered. This means that pupils across key stage 2 are making greater gains as they progress through the curriculum. The school has recently strengthened its approaches to identifying pupils’ additional needs, including SEND. Staff support pupils with SEND very well within lessons. For example, staff provide additional resources to help pupils with their learning. The school works successfully with a range of external specialists, who support pupils’ emotional well-being.

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Pupils display positive attitudes to learning. Staff work well with children in the early years so that they sustain their attention. Older pupils focus well in lessons. The school has put effective strategies in place to improve pupils’ attendance. As a result, absence has reduced, and most pupils attend school more regularly.

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The school provides an array of opportunities to enhance pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy. They know that it is important to keep active and to eat a balanced diet. Pupils demonstrate a strong knowledge of different religions and faiths. They learn how to keep safe online and in their local community.

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Governors are clear about what is working well at the school and they understand the priorities for improvement. Governors hold leaders to account and offer effective support and challenge.

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Parents and carers value the way that they are included in the life of the school. They appreciate that the school is a reflection of the community that it serves.

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Staff said that leaders are considerate of their well-being. They appreciate the support that they receive to manage their workload. For example, the additional training that they receive, which enables them to carry out their roles effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 2 and 3 July 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school has not identified the essential knowledge that pupils must learn. This makes it difficult for teachers to know what should be taught. In these subjects, pupils do not develop a deep body of subject knowledge. The school should ensure that teachers have the guidance that they need so that they can design learning that helps pupils to know more over time.  In some subjects, the school’s approach to assessment is in its infancy. This means that teachers do not remedy gaps in pupils’ learning quickly enough in these subjects. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment strategies to spot gaps in pupils’ learning and then to design learning that builds on what pupils already know and can do.

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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). 2 and 3 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  There have been considerable changes to the governing body since the school was last inspected. A new chair of governors and several members of the governing body have been appointed.

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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 educational provision.  This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders in school. 2 and 3 July 2024

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 The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector spoke to a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design, religious education and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also met with the subject leaders for other subjects and considered further evidence of pupils’ work in these subjects.  Inspectors observed and spoke to pupils during playtimes and lunchtimes.  An inspector met and spoke with parents and carers as they brought their children to school in the morning.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 lead inspector reviewed a range of school documentation, including the school development plan and records of governor meetings.  Inspectors considered responses, including free-text comments, to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Emily Morris, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicky Parkinson Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 July 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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