Greatfields School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Greatfields School Net Street, Barking IG11 7QG

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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Outcome

Greatfields School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Richard Paul. This school is part of the Partnership 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 (CEO), Roger Leighton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Saadat Mubashar .

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What is it like to attend this school?

Greatfields School is a warm and welcoming school where pupils feel safe and are kept safe. Pupils understand the school’s ‘Great Expectations’: to arrive on time; no mobile phone use; to follow instructions the first time; to wear correct uniform; to look after our school; and to bring the correct equipment. This helps to ensure that most pupils are ready to learn and are well motivated and focused during lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning here. They typically work hard and produce work of high quality. As a result, pupils achieve well in a wide range of subjects. Staff support pupils’ physical and mental health well. Pupils value the opportunities that the school offers to develop their talents and interests. Additional activities available include dance, debating and handball. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in all aspects of school life and are provided with the same wider opportunities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud to receive the assembly ‘shoutouts’ that praise effort and hard work. Many spoke keenly of the opportunities that the school provides to prepare them for their next steps in education, employment or training. For example, the Oxbridge Programme supports older pupils with the application process to Oxford or Cambridge University. 15 and 16 October 2024

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is typically ambitious and well sequenced. This helps pupils to revisit and embed important ideas they need for future learning. For example, in mathematics, younger pupils refine their definitions of corners, edges and vertices and identify these on different shapes. Older pupils use this knowledge when solving more complex geometric problems. In most areas, pupils develop a deep body of knowledge and understanding. This helps them to achieve highly in national examinations.

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

Teachers receive regular, high-quality training. They have strong subject knowledge and use this effectively to present ideas and explain new learning. Teachers know their pupils well. The school provides relevant information about pupils’ needs. This helps staff to make appropriate adaptations for all pupils, including pupils with SEND. As a result, these pupils learn the same curriculum as their peers, wherever this is possible. The school identifies pupils who need further support in reading or have gaps in their phonics or comprehension knowledge. Effective support is put in place to help these pupils to catch up and keep up.

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

In most subjects, teachers check pupils’ learning. This helps to ensure that errors and misconceptions are identified and corrected. However, this is not consistent. On occasion, teachers move the class on without checking pupils’ understanding. In these instances, new learning for some pupils is not secure, and opportunities to address misconceptions are missed.

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

The school has worked hard to develop a culture of respect. There are high expectations of how pupils should behave and conduct themselves in lessons and around the school site. Most pupils meet these expectations and are well behaved, respectful and considerate. When pupils make negative choices, staff explain to pupils the impact of their behaviour. The ‘Inclusion Hub’ is a purposeful learning environment that encourages pupils to reflect and reset when necessary. The school employs a wide range of strategies to promote regular attendance, taking swift action to support pupils to attend school more regularly.

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

There is a well-designed curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education, incorporating relationships and sex education. Pupils learn about the importance of treating each other with respect and what constitutes healthy and respectful relationships. Pupils have opportunities for spiritual and cultural development during the ‘Drop Everything and Read’ (DEAR) time. For example, they read and discuss a range of stories and texts from different cultural backgrounds. Pupils talk enthusiastically about memorable assemblies and whole-school celebrations such as ‘Culture Day’. An effective careers programme is in place for all pupils, including students in the sixth form. This helps pupils and students to make well-informed decisions about their next steps in education, employment or training.

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

Leaders, including those at trust and governance level , have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas that require further development. The local 15 and 16 October 2024

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governing body provides effective support and challenge to the school. Staff enjoy working here and are positive about the changes that have been implemented. They appreciate the support they receive for their well-being and to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, assessment is not used precisely to check what pupils know and remember. In these instances, some pupils, including pupils with SEND or those who are disadvantaged, do not secure the knowledge they need to tackle the intended curriculum with confidence. The school should ensure that assessment is used consistently to identify and correct misconceptions.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in June 2019.

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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 15 and 16 October 2024

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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 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). 15 and 16 October 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,163

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form

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Partnership Learning Trust.  The number of pupils on roll has increased significantly from 354 to 1,163 since the previous inspection.  There have been changes to the site and the school has opened a sixth-form provision since the previous inspection.  The school currently uses four registered alternative providers of education.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 15 and 16 October 2024

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 met with the headteacher and senior leaders. They also met with those responsible for governance and the CEO of the Partnership Learning Trust.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils and staff through discussions and their

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Information about this inspection

responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.  There were not sufficient responses to the parent and carer survey to be considered as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

Lisa Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Terry Millar Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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