Greenhill Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Greenhill Academy Harmony Street, Glodwick, Oldham, Greater Manchester OL4 1RR

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Outcome

Greenhill Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Chloe Glynn. This school is part of The Harmony 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), Antony Hughes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew McCully.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a highly inclusive school where everyone is valued and diversity is celebrated. Staff and pupils alike model respect for others and value the supportive ethos of the school. Pupils delight in being ‘friendship monitors’ and helping others at playtimes. Staff create a calm and nurturing atmosphere in lessons, where pupils can focus and learn without disruption.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The trust and the school have an embedded shared vision for all pupils to ‘believe, achieve, succeed’. Pupils enjoy their learning and develop a broad body of knowledge across a range of subjects. They achieve well from their starting points.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the opportunities to broaden their experiences. For example, they go on regular trips linked to their learning. This includes visits to museums, a range of different places of worship and a residential visit. Pupils represent the school in sports events and when performing in front of audiences. They are proud of the contribution they make to the school community and to the wider world. For example, pupils take on roles such as pupil councillors, sports leaders, eco warriors and health ambassadors. They raise money for charities, plant trees and take part in recycling initiatives. This helps pupils to be prepared for life beyond school. 1 and 2 April 2025

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

The school’s curriculum is rich and progressive. It identifies the key knowledge and skills that pupils should know. Staff design activities that support pupils well to build on their learning. Pupils have opportunities to revisit previous learning and to apply what they know in different contexts. The school focuses sharply on developing pupils’ communication and language. Starting from the early years, staff extend pupils’ vocabulary and engage them in meaningful discussions. This supports the language development of the many pupils across the school who speak English as an additional language.

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

There is a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the school. Staff have the knowledge and expertise to accurately identify the needs of these pupils. With the support of the trust, the school ensures that the curriculum delivery, resources and learning environment are adapted effectively to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This includes those who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision). Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

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

The school prioritises reading. Since the last inspection, the school has expanded the breadth of books on offer and ensured that pupils read daily at school. The school has also embedded a new phonics programme in recent years. This programme is delivered well by the skilled staff. Pupils who struggle to keep up with the programme are given additional support that helps them to gain confidence and fluency in reading. The proportion of Year 1 pupils who met the expected standard in the phonics screening check in 2024 was well below the national average. However, this does not reflect pupils’ progress from their individual starting points. Pupils in the mainstream classes, and those who attend the specially resourced provision, progress well through the phonics programme.

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

The school has systems in place to check how well pupils are learning, in lessons and over time. However, there is some inconsistency in how effectively the school uses these checks to swiftly identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This impacts how well some pupils learn.

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

The school has high expectations of attendance. It ensures that parents and carers understand the impact that absence has on their children’s learning. The school is diligent in identifying and addressing barriers to attendance. It provides a range of support to help parents to improve their children’s attendance. However, the school recognises that, despite this, some pupils do not attend as regularly as they should. Incidents of pupils taking extended leave are high. The school is determined to tackle this. Its actions are having a demonstrable impact on improving attendance.

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

Pupils behave well. They work hard in lessons and follow the school’s rules and routines. Children in the early years develop confidence and independence. They are excited to learn and concentrate deeply in their play. 1 and 2 April 2025

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The school promotes pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils enjoy attending a range of clubs, they take part in sports competitions and learn to play musical instruments. They have an age-appropriate understanding of how to maintain their physical and mental health. Pupils are active at social times and understand the importance of nutrition. They learn how to recognise their emotions and develop strategies to manage these.

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Trustees understand their responsibilities. They hold the school to account for maintaining its standards and improving against its priority areas. The school considers staff’s workload and supports them to develop their expertise.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, the school’s assessment systems are not used as effectively as they could to accurately check how securely pupils are learning. This hinders the school from ensuring that any gaps in their knowledge are swiftly addressed through adaptations to the curriculum delivery. The school should strengthen its assessment systems to ensure that staff are enabled to accurately check how well pupils are learning and to use this information to inform their teaching.

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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 March 2020. 1 and 2 April 2025

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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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Website www.greenhill.theharmonytrust.org

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Harmony Trust.  The principal was appointed in September 2024.  The school runs a breakfast club.  The school has provision for two-year-old children.  The school runs an additionally resourced provision for up to 20 pupils with SEND, including pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autistic spectrum disorder. This provision is known at the school as the ‘Inclusion Hub’.  The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 and 2 April 2025

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 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.  The inspector met with the principal, trust leaders, school leaders and staff at the school. The inspector also spoke to the chair of the trust board and the CEO of the academy trust.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and wider school life and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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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 The inspector observed pupils at social times and when moving around the school.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents.  The inspector spoke to parents and carers and considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector spoke to pupils and to staff to gather their views. She also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Liz Dayton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 1 and 2 April 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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