Grange Park Primary School

Inspection of Grange Park Primary School Grange Avenue, Stirchley, Telford, Shropshire TF3 1ET

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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

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The headteacher of this school is Richard Thorpe. This school is part of Community Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Philip Hamilton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Simon Atkins. 22 and 23 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this warm and welcoming school. School and trust leaders are determined to ensure that every pupil succeeds. The school’s curriculum develops pupils’ intellectual curiosity and enhances their character. Learning is carefully considered and sequenced to help pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), deepen their knowledge and understanding. Work produced is of high quality across most subjects and pupils are typically very well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s expert knowledge of the community underpins the personal development programme. For example, the school runs an additional online safety programme alongside the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. Pupils are well prepared for life beyond the classroom.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to school, as a result attendance is high. As one parent summarised, ‘My child starts school with a smile on his face and leaves with an even bigger one.’ Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They show high levels of respect for others. Pupils are kind and empathetic. They learn to look after their physical and mental health. Pupils feel safe and know adults are there to help if they have any concerns.

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

Leaders, and those responsible for governance, are committed to the school’s improvement journey. They have a detailed and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and the areas they want to improve even further. Over recent years, outcomes in reading and mathematics have improved considerably and pupils now achieve well.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious. Across all subjects, teachers are clear as to what they need to teach and when. Teachers have excellent subject knowledge. They carefully check that pupils are confident in their learning before introducing something new.

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

Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. This starts in the Nursery, where there is a palpable buzz about reading. The youngest children proudly show off the books they take home to share with their parents. For children at an early stage of learning to read, phonics is delivered by expert staff who address any misconceptions with confidence and skill. Pupils who need extra practice learning their sounds are helped to catch up quickly.

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

The school has rightly prioritised improvements in writing. A new approach to the teaching of writing has been introduced, which clearly identifies the key features of effective writing. Staff have received training and pupils are now all following this approach. However, this work is at an early stage of development. This means the impact of recent changes on handwriting, spelling and grammar are not consistent across pupils’ written work.

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

The school’s work to ensure that the individual needs of pupils with SEND are accurately identified is strong. Timely and effective support is put in place to allow all pupils to access and learn the school’s curriculum. The school ensures that staff are well trained in 22 and 23 October 2024

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adapting and scaffolding learning to allow all pupils to succeed. As a result, pupils with SEND flourish.

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From the very start in early years, children are taught routines and expectations of behaviour. Children learn to be resilient and independent, for example by zipping up their coats, using the toilet and washing their hands. Pupils’ exceptional behaviour continues as they move through school. Pupils are highly motivated and have excellent attitudes to learning. Pupils’ attendance is very high. No group of pupils is disadvantaged by low attendance. Pupils’ strong attendance and positive attitudes to their learning, contribute well to their achievement.

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The school’s provision for personal development is exceptional. Pupils learn about different religions and how people have different beliefs through visits to places of worship and visiting speakers. Pupils have a thorough, age-appropriate understanding of the protected characteristics and fundamental British values. Pupils are accepting of others and recognise that everyone is important and equal, despite any differences.

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The school plans a vast array of activities to develop pupils’ cultural understanding. These include the chance to go on trips to museums and theatres, learn to play a musical instrument and to represent the school within inter-school competitions. All pupils benefit from this offer. Roles and responsibilities enable pupils to apply for jobs such as ‘guardians’, school councillors and monitors. Pupils enjoy the chance to walk the school dog, Freddy, and learn about his welfare, as well as helping on the school allotment. This builds pupils’ understanding of responsibility.

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Staff, parents and pupils are overwhelmingly proud of their school. Leaders are supportive and engage regularly with staff. They are aware of the main pressures on them, have realistic expectations around workload and take effective steps to support staff 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 approach to the teaching of writing is not consistent across the school. This means that pupils have varying experiences because the impact of recent changes on handwriting, spelling and grammar are not consistent across pupils’ written work. The school should continue to evaluate the impact and consistency of its work to ensure that pupils’ writing continues to improve. 22 and 23 October 2024

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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). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

Website www.grangeparkprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school currently does not use any alternative provision.  The school includes an on-site nursery provision for two- and three- year-olds.  The school is part of Community Academies Trust.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 22 and 23 October 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection of the school 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, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher, special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, curriculum leaders, and other staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and computing. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  The inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  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 inspectors met with the chair of governors and other members of the governing body, the chair of the board of trustees and the trust CEO.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the responses to the confidential staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Eve Morris, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Donna OToole Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 October 2024

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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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