Greenfields Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Greenfields Primary School and Nursery Highfield Road, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN15 6HY

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Outcome

Greenfields Primary School and Nursery has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Sandra Appleby. This school is part of the David Ross Education 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) Stuart Burns, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Ross.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are firmly at the heart of this school. The school is ambitious for all its pupils to flourish and succeed. They thrive socially and academically within the school’s positive ethos that promotes high aspirations and mutual respect. Pupils achieve well from an ambitious curriculum that is taught effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school’s welcoming and inclusive environment. Relationships are strong. Pupils feel safe and supported by the staff, who foster positive and respectful behaviour between pupils. Pupils behave well around school and need few, if any, reminders to focus on their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and their families appreciate the very many wider opportunities that pupils have to learn beyond the classroom and develop wider interests. Pupils embrace the huge range of clubs and love the residential adventurous visits that nurture their independence. Pupils are excited by high-quality experiences to learn about careers, discover Shakespeare through workshops and visit places of worship. These opportunities enrich their learning beyond the classroom across the breadth of subjects. 29 and 30 April 2025

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Many parents would recommend the school to others. They appreciate the kindness and care that the school provides for their children, beginning from the strong start of their education in the Nursery Year.

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

The curriculum engages and inspires pupils. It is ordered logically with essential knowledge from the Nursery Year to Year 6. It breaks complex knowledge into manageable chunks. There are planned opportunities for pupils to revisit and repeat important knowledge and vocabulary. This is especially impactful in core subjects such as English and mathematics. The sequences of learning provide valuable repetition and review of important concepts to secure pupils’ understanding. For instance, pupils develop fluency with times tables through repeated counting and consideration of patterns in number. The curriculum provides language-rich activities so that pupils acquire specific technical vocabulary. For instance, pupils practise asking rhetorical questions in Year 2 in English. Other curriculum subjects have similarly ambitious aims. For instance, pupils are enthused and stretched to learn new knowledge and vocabulary about light or deserts in

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

science. However, in a few foundation subjects, teaching does not enable pupils to remember previously taught knowledge as well as in other areas.

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

There is an unwavering determination that all pupils will be readers. The reading curriculum is well established and well taught. The school’s approach to early reading and phonics supports pupils through effective routines to read with fluency and comprehension. Pupils who need more support with reading achieve well from additional practice. Pupils are immersed in high-quality reading experiences. For instance, drama activities inspire their engagement with characters’ viewpoints.

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

Teachers’ subject knowledge is strong. They use their expertise to explain new knowledge to pupils skilfully. They anticipate pupils’ misconceptions and address these well. Teachers ask carefully selected questions to check pupils’ understanding. Teachers ensure that pupils engage fully with what is taught. For instance, repetitive oral rehearsal of new words and partner-work discussions deepen pupils’ understanding of concepts effectively across all subjects.

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

The school is as relentlessly ambitious for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as it is for all pupils to achieve and flourish. The school identifies and meets the needs of these pupils well.

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

Children in the early years make a positive start to their learning journey through school. They are nurtured through caring relationships to develop self-confidence and curiosity. Skilled staff ensure a language-rich environment and consistently have high expectations of what children will achieve. Children are sociable and independent and well prepared for Year 1.

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

Pupils’ positive behaviour is clearly demonstrated during social times in the school day. Pupils play harmoniously together. They enjoy the games provided and respond 29 and 30 April 2025

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appropriately to adults when they line up. Pupils have a shared appreciation of the school’s expectations for good conduct. Attitudes to learning are strong.

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Pupils are aware of the features of life in modern Britain. They have a developing understanding of fundamental British values and know it is wrong to discriminate. They are respectful of different religions and beliefs. They understand how to stay safe online.

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Leaders ensure high-quality continuous development for their staff that positively impacts the quality of education that pupils receive. For instance, an embedded coaching approach improves teaching. Shared leadership responsibilities help the school’s vision and ambition to be lived by all. Staff appreciate the support they have from leaders and the consideration they give to workload. For example, they are provided with curriculum materials that save preparation time. Local governors and trustees are effective in their roles. They understand their legal duties.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, the school does not ensure that pupils have a secure understanding of the knowledge they were taught earlier in the subject. This means that sometimes pupils do not remember core knowledge from previous units of learning, and some of their understanding is fragile. The school should ensure that it supports pupils to solidify and deepen their understanding of earlier taught knowledge and achieve higher standards.

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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 outstanding 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 29 and 30 April 2025

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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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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in January 2020.

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 to 29 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the David Ross Education Trust.  The school’s nursery has provision for two-year-olds.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school manages its own wraparound care.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 The inspector met with senior leaders, subject leaders and representatives from the local scrutiny committee. She spoke with a representative of the board of trustees and a representative of the trust’s executive team.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector discussed pupils’ attendance and behaviour with school leaders.  The inspector considered the views of parents who responded to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. She also considered the online staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector held discussions with staff and with pupils.  The inspector considered a wide range of evidence, including some documents published on the school’s website.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Donna Moulds, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 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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