Grange Primary Academy

Inspection of Grange Primary Academy Holmleigh Road, Tuffley, Grange Primary School, Gloucestershire GL4 0RW

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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 Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Beth Williams. This school is part of the Greenshaw 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), Will Smith, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Anne Spackman. 3 and 4 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Grange Primary Academy is a joyful place to learn, where pupils grow in confidence. The school encourages pupils to ‘be the best they can be’. The school has high expectations for pupils, and pupils rise to these. At the end of Year 6, published outcomes information shows that pupils have not achieved as well as they need to. However, the school’s renewed curriculum helps current pupils to know and remember more.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Grange are known as individuals. Warm relationships between staff and pupils mean pupils feel secure to share any concerns. Pupils are clear about the school’s behaviour expectations. Consequently, the school is a harmonious learning environment. Pupils are engaged in their learning. Younger children learn the routines needed to make a successful start in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has carefully considered how it wants to develop pupils’ character and help them with important traits, such as resilience. The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn to be resilient. The school provides many other experiences, such as Second World War history visits, zoo visits and orienteering. These help pupils to make links between the classroom and the world around them.

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

The school has focused effectively on the areas that needed to be improved following the previous inspection. The school and the trust have worked together to develop a broad and ambitious curriculum that aims to give pupils the knowledge they need to succeed. The published external assessment information does not reflect the quality of education that pupils currently receive.

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

Pupils build their knowledge securely and demonstrate increasingly that they know more and remember more. For example, in reading, pupils make sophisticated connections between different texts. In science, pupils talk articulately about the structure of the eye and how we see. In design and technology, pupils explain how different ingredients grow. In mathematics, pupils create pie charts from data, using angles to do this accurately. Pupils’ work demonstrates this secure knowledge. They live up to the school’s high expectations.

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

The school has considered its unique context when designing its curriculum. Many children start at the school needing bespoke support to develop their speech and language skills. Because of this, the school has carefully considered the vocabulary that pupils need to learn. Teachers use strategies such as clear articulation of new words and sounds and repetition to help pupils to speak well. The school works with external agencies to provide individualised support to those who need it.

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

The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength. These pupils’ needs are quickly and accurately identified. Pupils with SEND benefit from learning plans that outline measurable and achievable targets. These help 3 and 4 June 2025

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pupils with SEND to succeed and learn the curriculum well. This includes pupils in the ‘Sycamore Class’ provision. Here, well-trained staff meet these pupils’ needs well.

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Staff are skilled at teaching pupils how to read. They check pupils’ reading knowledge and skills and use this information to provide pupils with the support they need. Staff quickly identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Pupils read books that help them to practise the sounds they know. Beyond early reading, pupils learn from a well-designed comprehension curriculum. Pupils have many favourite books and authors.

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The school has created a well-sequenced writing curriculum. Staff provide ample opportunities for pupils to practise writing sounds and words. However, a minority of pupils do not form their letters correctly, and this is not addressed well enough. This means these pupils make repeated errors in their letter formation.

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Pupils demonstrate the school rules of being ‘ready, respectful and safe’. Children in early years take measured risks in the well-considered environment. This helps to build their gross motor skills. The school provides tailored support for any pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour.

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Leaders are tenacious in their approach to increasing attendance. However, some pupils’ rates of absence are too high. These pupils miss important learning.

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Pupils benefit from a thoughtfully constructed personal development programme. This includes a wide range of enrichment activities that are woven through the curriculum. Pupils are respectful and understand that discrimination is wrong. Pupils learn how to support their own mental health and well-being.

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The school prioritises staff training, including a focus on teaching different aspects of the curriculum. Those responsible for governance are well informed and hold leaders to account for the quality of education and other aspects of the school’s work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, teaching does not identify and address errors in aspects of some pupils’ handwriting and letter formation. As a result, these pupils make repeated errors in their written work. The trust should ensure that teaching identifies and addresses errors and misconceptions in pupils’ writing to ensure that pupils build their knowledge and writing fluency securely.  Attendance rates are low and there are too many pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, who are persistently absent. As a result, some pupils are not forming 3 and 4 June 2025

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positive attendance routines and are missing essential learning. The trust should ensure that attendance continues to be a high priority and that rates of attendance improve.

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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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 January 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Grange Primary Academy joined Greenshaw Learning Trust in November 2023. When its predecessor school, Grange Primary Academy, was last inspected by Ofsted in January 2023, it was judged to require improvement for overall effectiveness.  There is a before-school club for pupils who attend the school.  The school does not currently 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. 3 and 4 June 2025

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 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 met with the headteacher, school staff, parents and carers, pupils, representatives from the trust including the CEO, the chair of the board of trustees and the chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also reviewed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtime and breaktimes. In addition, the inspectors met with pupils formally and informally to hear their views.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also looked at responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Lakmini Harkus, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Steer Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 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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