Greatfield Park Primary School

Inspection of Greatfield Park Primary School Hulbert Crescent, Hatherley, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 3FZ

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a caring, nurturing and happy school. Pupils feel safe here. The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve well. Pupils follow the school’s vision of ‘Learning and thriving together to achieve our dreams’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the last inspection, the school has made some significant changes. It has raised its expectations of pupils’ achievement and behaviour. As a result, these expectations are now more consistently realised.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are a credit to the school. They are friendly and polite. Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils proudly demonstrate the ‘Greatfield Park Way’ such as ‘smart sitting’ and ‘marvellous manners’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides exciting opportunities for pupils to try new things and learn different skills. For example, pupils try caving and rock climbing on ‘I Can Do It’ days. Pupils join clubs such as netball, mindfulness and choir. Older pupils enjoy showcasing their singing talents when they perform at a national arena.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school works closely with families and knows them well. Pastoral provision is high quality. It has a demonstrable impact on pupils’ self-esteem, confidence and behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents are happy with the school. Several parents comment that staff help their children to thrive.

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

The school provides an ambitious and exciting curriculum. It is well sequenced and identifies the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils must learn.

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

Reading is prioritised. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. Pupils who find it difficult to read are provided with focused support. This helps them to catch up and improves their fluency. Pupils regularly practise reading. They enjoy reading for pleasure. Pupils become absorbed in stories when adults read to them.

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

In phonics and mathematics, the programme of learning is well established. Over the last year, in order to raise achievement, the school has improved the teaching of wider reading skills and writing. It has also improved the curriculum in foundation subjects. This is having a positive impact.

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

Teachers routinely support pupils to recap on previous learning. This prompts pupils’ recall and deepens their understanding. As a result, pupils remember what they have learned. For instance, when recalling their work in geography, pupils can confidently name the continents and describe different types of volcanoes. However, in a minority of subjects, the improved curriculum is still in the early stages of being implemented. This means some pupils have not learned the content needed for future learning. They have gaps in their knowledge. 14 and 15 January 2025

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Teachers explain and model new learning so that pupils know what to do. For example, children in the early years listen and watch intently as they are carefully shown how to paint and clean their brushes. Children then diligently practise for themselves.

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The school regularly checks how well pupils are achieving. It swiftly identifies and supports pupils who need extra help, such as pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND benefit from extra teaching and adaptations to learning, helping them to make good progress through the curriculum.

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Staff develop positive relationships with pupils. Pupils respect staff and trust them to take care of them. Pupils say there is always an adult to talk to in school if they have any worries.

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Leaders and staff support pupils’ behaviour and attitudes well. As a result, pupils listen carefully and eagerly tackle learning activities. Pupils enjoy rewards for their achievements, such as ‘hot chocolate Fridays’. Pupils who find it hard to manage their emotions are provided with targeted support. This enables them to talk about their feelings and regulate their emotions more appropriately.

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The school’s work to improve attendance is starting to have an impact. However, some pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not attend school regularly enough. As a result, they miss out on their education and the exciting opportunities the school offers.

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The school supports personal development well. For example, pupils raise money for charity and donate items to the food bank. Pupils take on positions of responsibility when they join the school council or become ‘playground pals’. Year 6 pupils become buddies to children in the early years. This helps them to settle into school and make new friends.

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Leaders have worked with determination and enthusiasm to make positive changes to the school. Staff feel well supported and are committed to contributing to school improvement. As a result, morale is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 I n a minority of subjects, the school is in the early stages of implementing its more ambitious curriculum. As a result, in these subjects, pupils have gaps in their learning and have not yet secured the deep knowledge the school expects them to. The school must fully embed the new curriculum effectively so pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need for future learning. 14 and 15 January 2025

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 The school’s actions to improve attendance have not yet reduced absence successfully for all pupils. As a result, the attendance of some pupils, including pupils with SEND, is too low. This means that these pupils miss out on essential learning. The school should further strengthen its work to improve attendance so that all pupils attend highly to benefit from the school’s provision.

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Sarah Bamford and Colin Belford (Co- Chairs) Headteacher Jennifer Robbins

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 October 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors 14 and 15 January 2025

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also held meetings with other senior leaders, including the early years foundation stage leader and special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector held a meeting with a group of governors. She also had a telephone conversation with a representative from local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in art and geography.  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.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at various times during the day, including breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils and staff and spoke to some parents to gather their views. They reviewed responses to the online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, along with free-text comments. Inspectors also took account of the responses to the online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lizzy Meadows Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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