Grangewood School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Grangewood School Ballinger Way, Northolt UB5 6GG

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Outcome

Grangewood 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 Liz Edwards. This school is part of the Eden Academy 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), Susan Douglas, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Barry Nolan.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment pupils arrive, they show their trust in the adults at their school. Staff welcome pupils warmly. They know and care for them well. The school’s safe environment allows pupils to develop and flourish. With support, pupils also grow their independence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for pupils’ achievement, and staff share these expectations. Across all three sites, pupils respond positively to learning. Clear routines help pupils start the day calmly. Staff address any issues with behaviour well. They skilfully support pupils who may need additional help. A strong relationship exists between pupils and staff. Pupils show great respect for each other and adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience different activities that prepare them well for their future. This includes going into the local community to practise crossing the road and visiting shops. This supports pupils to learn how to stay safe beyond the school. Through their different methods of communication, pupils demonstrate how they value their outdoor experiences. Parents and carers speak highly of the school and say that staff go above and beyond in supporting their children. The painting, flower arranging and pottery workshops mean a lot to them. 29 and 30 April 2025

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

The school sets out clearly the different curriculum pathways that pupils follow. There is a clear aim to match the planned curriculum to pupils’ specific needs, as set out in their education, health and care (EHC) plans. The school provides staff with purposeful training to further understand how to teach the curriculum. Typically, staff have the knowledge to adapt the curriculum to meet pupils’ individual needs. For example, staff use well-chosen resources such as containers, water, soil and lentils to secure pupils’ mathematical knowledge about capacity. This helps pupils achieve the aims of the curriculum. However, there are some inconsistencies in staff’s understanding of how to deliver the curriculum. Sometimes, the support that staff provide does not match what pupils need to secure their understanding. When this occurs, pupils do not learn as well as the school would like them to.

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

All pupils have the opportunity to read at a level appropriate for them. Staff skilfully teach pupils to use their sensory skills through activities such as smelling and touching food as part of storytelling. This makes story sharing a special experience. Emerging readers enjoy going to the library and sharing a book with an adult. They learn skills in handling books well, such as turning pages. Pupils who are ready to learn phonics do so through a structured daily programme.

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

Communication is at the core of the curriculum. From the early years onwards, there is a clear focus on enabling pupils to learn to communicate. This continues across the school. Staff support pupils in a variety of ways. Some pupils use specific technology, while others use symbols and signs. This supports the important interactions between pupils and adults.

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

Pupils attend school regularly. The school recognises how this impacts on pupils’ achievement. Careful tracking of attendance and working closely with families is making a difference. Pupils now attend school in line with national expectations. The school’s ‘Golden Rules’ support a consistent approach to behaviour across the school. This ensures shared expectations between pupils and staff. Pupils show enthusiasm for learning, particularly during active sessions such as dancing and singing.

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

The school works very well with in-house therapists and external specialists. This helps pupils to have the best support in school as part of their whole learning programme. Pupils learn well about topics such as self-care, relationships and feelings through a well- designed personal, social and health education programme. They learn about different faiths through their visits to places of worship and celebrating festivals, such as Diwali. Activities such as sailing and collecting for a local food bank help pupils to develop their characters well.

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

Central to the school’s sustained standards is the oversight and support of the multi- academy trust in partnership with the local advisory board. Governance is strong. Leaders ensure that their core business of teaching and learning is the priority. The school successfully has pupils’ best interests at heart. Leaders value staff and provide effective 29 and 30 April 2025

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professional development for them. Staff workload and the well-being of all who work at the school have a high priority.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, sometimes, staff are not clear on the support that pupils require to develop their deeper understanding. This leads to pupils’ individual objectives not being consistently met. The school should define exactly what support pupils need to enable them to fully understand their learning.

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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 February 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. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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 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

School category Academy special converter

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has expanded to three sites while a new school building is completed. This is due to open in January 2026.  The school accommodates pupils across three locations: Grangewood School, Ballinger Road Northolt UB5 6GG, currently has 87 pupils on roll; The Satellite provision, Pinkwell Lane, Hayes UB3 1PG, currently has 14 pupils on roll; and Sunshine House, 33 Dene Road, Northwood HA6 2DD, has 37 pupils on roll.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school uses a range of communication methods to meet the pupils’ varying needs, including those with autism and those with visual and hearing impairments.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 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 visited sample lessons, met with some pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also observed breaktimes and the start of the day and looked at curriculum, outcome and assessment documentation that relate to pupils’ EHC plans and learning.  The inspectors met with a range of school leaders from different sites, including the headteacher, CEO, deputy CEO, cluster lead, the chair and deputy chair of the trust, chairs of the local advisory boards and trustees.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Janice Howkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jayne Jardine 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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