Greswold Primary School

GRESWOLD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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GRESWOLD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Greswold Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr. John Lawlor

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 02/03/1998 Greswold Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 21661 Peter Belfield Registered inspector 13828 Ron Ibbitson Lay inspector 21460 Rachael Andrew Team inspector 18331 Jon Sutcliffe Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Sandfield Educational Consultants 8 Spenbeck Drive Allestree Derby DE22 2UH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Greswold Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Greswold Primary School is situated in Solihull and is oversubscribed. It is much bigger than most primary schools with 522 pupils on roll and 57 part time children in the nursery. The pupils attending full time are taught in eighteen single age classes. Almost thirteen per cent of the pupils have English as an additional language which is above average. Almost all of these pupils are of Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage and the main languages spoken are: Panjabi, Gujerati and Urdu. Twelve per cent of the pupils have special educational needs, which is below average. Ten pupils have a Statement of Special Educational Needs. Just over four per cent of the pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is below average. The attainment of the children on entry to the school varies from year to year but, overall, it is above average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Greswold is a very good school. It achieves high standards. The teaching and the leadership and management of the school are very good. The school gives very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well  The headteacher provides very good leadership and is very well supported by a strong senior staff and able governors. Together they are an extremely effective team committed to promoting high standards.  The quality of teaching is very good. The very good assessment procedures and the teachers’ high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to achieve high standards.  The pupils have very good attitudes to learning. A firm moral framework results in very good standards of behaviour. The pupils enjoy school and the levels of attendance are very high.  The partnership with parents is strong and the support they provide makes a very positive contribution to the pupils’ achievements.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved  The opportunities for the pupils to plan their own work and to carry out investigations and independent research in subjects such as geography, history and religious education. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since the last inspection in March 1998. The quality of teaching has improved and is very good. The results achieved by pupils in the national tests have remained high, matching the national trend of improvement. Assessment procedures have improved and they play a central role in ensuring that all pupils achieve well. The key issues from the last inspection have been addressed successfully, although the opportunities teachers provide for pupils to take responsibility for their learning, particularly in subjects other than English, mathematics and science, require further development. Greswold Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English A A A C well above average above average A B mathematics A* A A* A* average below average C D science A A A* A well below average E

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Key

Standards in the three core subjects have risen year-on-year. The work seen during the inspection indicates that standards in the current Year 6 are well above average in English, mathematics and science and are at a similar level in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. The school sets challenging targets for both English and mathematics and meets them. There has been a significant rise in standards over the past four years. The work that the pupils were doing during the inspection confirms this picture of high standards. The overall improvement in the pupils’ performance is largely due to the school’s analysis of previous performance and an increase in the level of challenge for the more able pupils. Pupils of all abilities achieve well and they make very good progress in relation to their prior attainment. The pupils are very competent readers. They enjoy reading for pleasure and have a very good understanding of what they read, but they could be given

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Key

more opportunities to carry out more independent research. The school recognised that there was a need to improve the quality of the pupils’ writing. The strategies adopted to achieve this have been very successful and have increased significantly the percentage of pupils reaching the higher national curriculum levels 3 and 5 by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The pupils write with flair and accuracy, adapting the style of their writing confidently to suit different purposes. The pupils have a very good understanding of numbers and calculate mentally both quickly and accurately and are adept at solving mathematical problems. They are very good at explaining how they have arrived at answers and are able to find alternative methods.

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Key

The pupils in both the infants and juniors have a good breadth and depth of scientific knowledge and have appropriate opportunities to devise investigations and experiments. The children in the Nursery make very good progress due to the excellent provision. The children in the Reception class make steady progress and have benefited from the changes that have been made to the curriculum since the last inspection. Learning is now based more on practical activities. Most children are on course to reach the early learning goals in all of the areas of learning, with some likely to exceed these goals by the time they enter Year 1.

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Key

There were no significant differences in the achievements of boys and girls as observed during the inspection. The pupils with special educational needs make very good progress and achieve particularly well in relation to their prior attainment. Greswold Primary School - 8

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. The pupils are very keen to come to school and are assured and confident. They take pride in their achievements and are enthusiastic learners. They are keen to engage in the wide range of extra-curricular activities.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. The pupils are helpful and considerate. Outdoor play at break times is pleasant and relaxed.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. The pupils are happy and grow in confidence and self- esteem. They show great respect and care for property and each other. Older pupils help to maintain the standards of behaviour. The pupils are confident and they enjoy taking responsibility.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Excellent. Attendance levels are very high. The pupils are very eager to come to school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

The pupils’ attitudes to school and their behaviour are significant strengths. They willingly take on responsibility and the older pupils take care of the younger ones. They get on well together and relationships are very good.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Good Very Good Very Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is very good overall and has improved since the last inspection. The teachers have high expectations of the pupils’ work and behaviour. The teachers plan interesting lessons and are very skilled in identifying and meeting the needs of all of the pupils. They make very good use of their assessments to plan work that builds on what the pupils already know and can do. Those pupils who are learning English as an additional language are very well supported, as are the pupils who may have additional special educational needs. There is a very good working atmosphere in the classrooms and the teaching is stimulating, enthusiastic and challenging. The teaching of English and mathematics, including literacy and numeracy is very good stemming from the teachers very good subject knowledge. All of the lessons are planned thoroughly; the teacher and the pupils are clear about the targets for learning and the work is challenging. The teachers are skilled in questioning the

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

pupils so that their knowledge and understanding is probed. This accelerates the rate of learning. The relationships between pupils and teachers are very good. The pupils are interested in their work and are keen to do well. They make very good progress in lessons and over time. An area for further development is to increase the opportunities for the pupils to take greater initiative and responsibility for their learning

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The main strengths of the teaching in the Foundation Stage are found in the nursery where the quality of teaching is excellent. A high priority is given to the development of the children’s language, literacy and numeracy and the high quality support and intervention that the pupils receive when engaged in practical activities ensures that they learn at a brisk pace. The weaknesses identified in the nursery during the last inspection have been clearly addressed and the children are now provided with Greswold Primary School - 9 many practical learning activities that are very well supported by adults. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall in Reception but on occasions the children’s self-selected activities require a greater level of challenge and more targeted support from adults.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum promotes good achievement for all pupils and provides a full range of stimulating learning experiences.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The pupils are very well supported and make good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. The school ensures that the pupils have full access to the curriculum. The pupils are provided with a good level of support that enables them to make very good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Many opportunities are provided for the pupils to learn how to become caring, effective members of the community. The school provides a strong moral framework and promotes the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development very effectively.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. The school places a very high priority on the pupils’ well being. They receive very good guidance and support. The assessment of the pupils is very good and allows teachers and subject leaders to easily monitor the pupils’ progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The many visits and visitors to the school enhance the curriculum provision and make a significant contribution to the pupils’ personal, social and cultural development. The school has very good links with parents and this has a positive impact on the pupils’ achievements. Greswold Primary School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very good leadership and a high level of support for all staff. There is a very strong team spirit and the monitoring and development of teaching and learning by the senior management team has a very positive impact on standards.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governors monitor the school’s performance well and provide a good blend of challenge and support. They fulfil their statutory duties very effectively in providing a sense of direction for the school and in promoting the school in the community.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The performance of the school is analysed thoroughly and appropriate action is taken to raise standards and to improve the quality of education provided.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school has appropriate educational priorities linked to the available budget. Specific grants are used very well and the outcomes for pupils with special educational needs are very good. The school has plans to improve its provision for information and communication technology.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The leadership of the senior staff is a significant strength of the school. The headteacher, together with the strong team of teachers, is very skilled in ensuring that the pupils achieve their best. The governors are committed and keen for the school to do well. In relation to the principles of best value, the school compares its standards with others, evaluates its performance very effectively, consults parents about proposed changes and attempts to get the best value from all of its spending.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved  The high standards attained by their children.  They believe the school to be well led and managed.  Their children enjoy school.  The standards of behaviour.  The good teaching.  The school expects children to work hard and try their best.  The school helps their children to become mature and responsible.  The parents feel that the school works very closely with them, is approachable and provides good information.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team strongly endorses the parents’ positive views. Greswold Primary School - 11

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staff and able governors. Together they are an extremely effective team committed to

1. A clear sense of purpose exists in the school. It is reflected in the high aspirations that the headteacher, key staff and governors have for all pupils and the shared vision for improving the quality of education that the school provides. The headteacher provides high quality, professional leadership and has worked very successfully in establishing common, challenging goals with staff, parents and governors. These goals are reflected in the performance objectives of the school. Much has been achieved. There is a very good ethos and a strong sense of team-work to achieve the school’s aims. In this very large school there is good delegation of responsibilities with a clear framework for managing the Foundation stage, infants and juniors. The senior management team are adept at ensuring that there is good communication across the whole school. The strategic planning is a real strength. All of the staff contribute to the process of school improvement planning and all know the goals

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staff and able governors. Together they are an extremely effective team committed to

they are working towards. Good use is made of information technology and the school’s key planning document is readily available for all staff and governors on an electronic networked system. Information about progress made against priorities is easily added and accessible to all stakeholders. The work of subject leaders has been enhanced since the last inspection. They are clear about how to raise standards in their subjects and curriculum audits and subsequent developments have led, for example, to improvements in the provision for the children in the reception classes and the way in which the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is promoted.

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staff and able governors. Together they are an extremely effective team committed to

2. The Governors are fully involved in establishing the school’s priorities and are seen as critical friends. They are committed, involved and supportive and fulfil all of their statutory duties. Governors visit the school regularly and find out for themselves what is going on. They observe lessons and they attend parent/teacher evenings and regularly attend training. The governors’ curriculum committee analyses the school’s results in national tests and all governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. This is reflected in a key staff appointment made to ensure that the very good provision for special educational needs is maintained. Active and appropriate committees are in place; they are working smoothly. The headteacher and the Chair of Governors work well together and meet regularly to discuss matters of importance and this strengthens the leadership of

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staff and able governors. Together they are an extremely effective team committed to

the school. The school is keen to ensure that the principles of best value are strongly applied. This is evident not only in the very efficient financial management systems but also in the determination shown by the headteacher and governors to both inform parents and seek their views. A communications committee has been established and carries out all aspects of this work very successfully.

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staff and able governors. Together they are an extremely effective team committed to

3. The school analyses data from national tests and other sources very effectively and the information provided is used carefully to target the pupils’ learning. This is particularly evident in the improvement in the pupils’ writing after the analysis of their work and test results identified the need to raise achievement. In the 2003 national tests the percentage of pupils attaining the higher level 3 in writing by the end of Year 2 has risen by twenty-seven percent. In the Year 6 tests there has been a three percent increase in the already above average Level 5 2002 English results. Greswold Primary School - 12 4. There is a high priority on training. Performance management systems are working well and the school holds the Investors in People award. The monitoring of teaching and learning is very effective and is a regular feature of the school’s work. It has underpinned the improvements in the quality of teaching since the last inspection and the rise in standards

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staff and able governors. Together they are an extremely effective team committed to

over the past three years. Assessment procedures are comprehensive and provide teachers with the information to accurately measure the pupils’ progress. The headteacher is keen to improve the quality of teaching and arranges for teachers to observe best practice in other schools as well as within the school. The rigorous evaluation of teaching identified that learning outcomes were not always met and in mathematics there was a need to adopt a more consistent approach to recording calculations. The inspection evidence confirms that these weaker aspects of teaching are now strengths.

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staff and able governors. Together they are an extremely effective team committed to

5. At the parents’ pre-inspection meeting and in the parents’ questionnaire the overwhelming view was that the school is well led and managed. It is, and the school has a deservedly high reputation in the area.

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high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to

6. The teachers have high expectations of what the pupils can achieve. This results in high standards of work and behaviour and the standards achieved by the pupils at the end of Year 6 have been getting better year-on-year. In the national tests in 2002, the pupils’ performance in mathematics and science was in the top 5 per cent of all schools nationally and the results were very high in mathematics and well above average in science when compared with similar schools. The results in English were well above the national average.

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high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to

7. The performance of the pupils by the time they leave the school puts them ahead of the national average picture for their age by the equivalent of more than a year’s progress in their work. This can, in part, be attributed to the very good planning by the teachers that enables skills and knowledge to be built up during lessons and over time and to the very clear learning objectives that are identified for each lesson. The teachers share these objectives with their pupils at the start of each lesson so that they are clear about what they are going to learn. Almost all of the lessons observed during the inspection were good, very good or excellent. The very good subject knowledge that teachers have is used to devise original activities and extend the pupils’ learning. The systems that are in place to support improvement in the quality of teaching and learning are very effective. Teachers have taken

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high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to

the opportunity to observe Leading Literacy and Mathematics Teachers in other schools. The quality of their own teaching is monitored each term by the headteacher and subject leaders. There is an excellent working atmosphere in the classrooms and pupils respond with enthusiasm to their teachers. Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good. In English and mathematics in the juniors the pupils are taught in groups based on their prior ability. The work that the pupils were doing during the inspection and the work in their books confirms that this organisation results in well targeted teaching and good progress by pupils of all abilities. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson that was part of the transition programme for moving to secondary education, the teacher set a high level of challenge for the pupils requiring them to solve problems involving capacity and volume. The pupils responded enthusiastically as the teacher clarified their understanding with

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high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to

searching questions and clear explanations. She encouraged them to think carefully about the way they tackled their calculations. In the group work, the pupils discussed the processes involved, modified and refined their approaches. They made very rapid progress during the course of the lesson. Greswold Primary School - 13 8. The quality of the teaching in the nursery is excellent. Carefully prepared topic activities keep children’s interest levels high. The activities are well structured and the nursery is very well organised so as to support the children’s independence. The nursery curriculum is designed to be as ‘self-manageable’ as possible for the children and allows the children easy access to a wide range of well-prepared activities. They are encouraged to take responsibility for selecting their own resources and materials. This has a positive impact on their personal development. Role play areas contain exciting and inviting resources and during the inspection

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high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to

the children were in and out of the farmhouse and filling up the tractor with diesel fuel. The teaching of language, literacy and mathematics is very good. The activities are always purposeful and often exciting for example hooking a duck and identifying and ordering the numbers on their base. There are many activities to promote language, literacy and mathematics and the children frequently turn to books, the writing area and number games. The teacher and teaching assistants listen very carefully to the children. They take time with them and encourage them to take part and learn effectively. The teaching of personal and social development is very good. Opportunities to develop the children’s personal and social skills are part of almost all of the activities.

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high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to

9. Across the school a significant strength of the teaching is the use of assessment. The school has very effective procedures for assessing pupils at regular intervals and on an on-going basis. A range of tests and assessments, including reading and writing tests as well as optional assessment tests in Years 3, 4 and 5, provide the teachers with regular information about the pupils’ progress. The teachers make very good use of the assessments and their own knowledge of the pupils to set appropriate work and targets for pupils. The pupils’ progress is then carefully tracked over time. When the analysis of test results showed that the pupils’ performance in writing had declined, the school rectified this deficiency very quickly. The pupils’ writing is assessed twice each term and the pupils are given targets for improving their work. Teachers also revised the approach to the teaching of literacy so that

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high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to

many more opportunities were provided for the pupils to use a range of different types of writing in subjects such as history, geography and science. The scrutiny of the pupils’ work confirms that writing skills are being effectively developed as they record, for example, their science investigations, compose guides of the Himalayas in geography and, as Roman soldiers, write letters ‘home’ about their experiences. In a very good lesson observed in Year 5, the pupils’ descriptive writing skills were improved when they described in detail the process of coastal erosion.

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high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to

10. The high standards achieved and the very good progress that the pupils make is also due to the teachers’ very good command of their subject. It enables the pupils’ learning to be extended and for the more able pupils to be challenged. This was evident in an excellent English lesson in Year 6 when the pupils were taught how to improve their writing and to understand the use of personification. Using a range of texts, the teacher explained how the authors bring writing alive, engage the reader and affect feelings. Descriptions such as thuds like a judge’s hammer enthral the pupils and they enthusiastically tackle the writing tasks that have been carefully matched to the varying abilities in the class. By the end of the lesson all of the pupils had made very good progress in improving the quality of their writing and more than half of them were working at the higher Level 5.

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high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to

11. The teaching of those pupils with special educational needs is very good and they make very good progress in relation to their prior attainment. The school identifies pupils that have learning difficulties soon after they start in the nursery. The special educational needs co-ordinator is very well organised and ensures that additional support is provided and that the pupils’ progress is carefully tracked as they move through the school. Expert help is sought, when necessary, from the Local Education Authority and other agencies. There is a significant level of success and this is evident in the high number of pupils attaining Level 2 Greswold Primary School - 14 in the national tests by the end of Year 2 and Level 4 by the end of Year 6. The pupils are often taught very effectively in small groups and in the two very good lessons observed during the inspection a group of Year 2 pupils improved their phonic skills as they learned

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high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to

to construct riddles. The teacher made the activity light-hearted and the pupils were motivated by her encouragement and the intention to make an audio recording of their riddles to try out on the rest of the class. In the Year 3 lesson the teacher made very good use of textual extracts from Captain Cool to extend the pupils’ vocabulary. A very impressive aspect of the work is the way in which the pupils’ self-esteem is fostered. The teachers encourage them to do their best and learning support assistants provide help in a sensitive and unobtrusive way. The overall aim is to get as many of the pupils as possible off the Special Educational Needs register and for them to achieve their potential. The school’s policy is very successful. 12. The quality of learning in the lessons observed was further confirmed in the very good work in pupils’ books. They revealed clear and helpful marking, an impressive improvement over

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high expectations of their pupils ensures that work is challenging. This enables the pupils to

time and an obvious demand from teachers for a high standard of presentation.

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good standards of behaviour. The pupils enjoy school and the levels of attendance are very

13. The pupils’ attitudes to school are very good and attendance levels are very high reflecting both the enthusiasm that the pupils have for learning and the joint efforts of the school and parents to ensure that they have few days off. The high quality of the teaching captures the pupils’ interest, secures their attention and ensures good levels of participation. Relationships are very good. The pupils look forward to school, enjoy their lessons, work hard and involve themselves in the wide range of extra-curricular activities that are on offer. They listen attentively and show a keen interest in all that goes on in their classroom. They settle quickly to their work and respond eagerly during class discussions. The pupils are encouraged to work collaboratively; they readily accept the idea that they both learn from, and help each other. This was evident in a very good Year 6 lesson when the pupils were

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good standards of behaviour. The pupils enjoy school and the levels of attendance are very

working in small groups to design a burglar alarm that would be activated from under a carpet. The task required the pupils to negotiate with each other to determine the best method to solve the problem. They did so readily, sharing ideas and listening to each other’s suggestions. In another very good lesson in Year 4, the pupils worked particularly well in pairs as they produced a design for a sculpture and agreed the best place to locate it. This eagerness to learn is common to all groups of pupils. The teachers are skilled in encouraging the slower learners to do their best with work that matches their ability. When the pupils make mistakes they accept them as a necessary part of learning and do not allow them to undermine their confidence or their determination to get things right next time. The school monitors carefully the pupils’ personal development and sets termly targets for them. Those pupils needing support are identified and help is provided. An area for further

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good standards of behaviour. The pupils enjoy school and the levels of attendance are very

development is for the school to promote more strongly the pupils independent learning skills by encouraging greater responsibility for planning their own work and providing more opportunities to carry out research.

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good standards of behaviour. The pupils enjoy school and the levels of attendance are very

14. The pupils’ behaviour is a strength and the teachers promote the pupils’ moral and social development very effectively. The school actively teaches and promotes an understanding of fairness, truth and justice. Expectations of good behaviour begin when the pupils start in the nursery and there is a behaviour policy that is implemented consistently. The pupils respond very well to the teachers’ high expectations, acknowledge that rules are for their own safety and that of others and willingly carry out class and school routines. These factors significantly influence the progress that they make. Linked to the behaviour policy Greswold Primary School - 15 is a very positive and popular system that rewards social and academic achievements with Well done and house point assemblies giving due recognition to pupils. The adults and children treat each other with affection, courtesy and respect. The elected class co-

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good standards of behaviour. The pupils enjoy school and the levels of attendance are very

ordinators make a real contribution to the very good behaviour and support and help teachers in a mature manner by helping other pupils in sorting out problems and acting as behaviour monitors at break times. The older pupils make mature observations about their school, such as, ‘Not many people misbehave; the teachers expect us to be sensible’. The inspectors agreed with this view. The great emphasis placed by the school to develop the pupils’ attitudes and values results in the pupils becoming mature and responsible members of the school community.

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The partnership with parents is strong and the support they provide makes a very positive

contribution to the pupils’ achievements.

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The partnership with parents is strong and the support they provide makes a very positive

15. The parents’ meeting and the questionnaires received, illustrate the strength of feeling that the parents have in their support for the school and emphasised the mutual trust and confidence in the school. They are extremely pleased with the progress that their children are making in the school and were delighted to provide examples of this at their pre- inspection meeting. They feel that the school achieves very high standards. They are very confident that their children are being taught well and that the ethos of the school ensures that their personal development is given a high priority. The school has very good links with parents and carers that contribute very effectively to the pupils’ learning at school and at home. The school sets out to establish a good home-school partnership when the children start in the nursery and the response by parents to this initial approach is very positive.

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The partnership with parents is strong and the support they provide makes a very positive

There are regular parent helpers in school who support the pupils’ learning and who provide assistance by going on educational visits. Training is provided for parent helpers so that they can improve their skills in working with individual and small groups of pupils. It has been particularly beneficial for those pupils on reading and writing support programmes. At home, parents are diligent in supporting their children with their homework and all parents have signed up to the home-school agreement.

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The partnership with parents is strong and the support they provide makes a very positive

16. The systems for exchanging information between home and the school work particularly well. The parents are consulted extensively through questionnaires that seek their opinions on what the school does well and how could it improve further. This resulted in an improvement in the way that parents are kept informed of developments, school events and key dates through the introduction of weekly year group newsletters. This was provided in addition to the regular school newsletter, the Greswold Gazette . The school keeps parents up to date with how subjects are taught and curriculum evenings are popular and well attended. Annual reports to parents on their children’s progress are clear and provide detailed information about the pupils’ achievements and contain targets for future learning. The parents are pleased that the school has an open door policy that makes it much easier for them to call in, obtain information or speak to members of the staff. The overwhelming

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The partnership with parents is strong and the support they provide makes a very positive

opinion of the parents is that they would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem.

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The partnership with parents is strong and the support they provide makes a very positive

17. The Parent Teacher Association is very active. They organise social events and raise significant funds for the school. This has helped to provide a wide range of equipment such as the bench seating in the playground, the weather monitoring system and a multi-media projector. A parent liaison teacher works hard to promote the school’s strong partnership with the parents. Greswold Primary School - 16

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The opportunities for the pupils to plan their own work, carry out investigations and

independent research in subjects such as geography, history and religious education.

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The opportunities for the pupils to plan their own work, carry out investigations and

18. The curriculum promotes high achievement, a clear progression in the pupils’ learning and provides a broad range of stimulating learning experiences. It includes very good provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral and personal and social development. The school positively encourages and supports full access to a broad and balanced curriculum from which all pupils benefit. These varied experiences offered to all of the pupils provide a solid foundation on which the pupils develop a love of learning and gain some insight into the wider world. To enrich the curriculum further the school now needs to plan more opportunities for the pupils to take the initiative and responsibility for aspects of their own learning. This can be done by making better use of the library for the pupils to carry out research in subjects such as history, geography and religious education. To present the outcomes of their research to the whole class in different ways; visually, orally or through

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The opportunities for the pupils to plan their own work, carry out investigations and

drama. Computers could be used more frequently by pupils so that they can gather information, provide graphical representations and present their findings using the skills that they acquire in information, communication and technology lessons. The school has recognised that more emphasis needs to be given to investigation work in mathematics and science and is beginning to provide it. Some good examples of this type of work were seen during the inspection. In Year 6 the pupils solved problems involving time and capacity and in Year 5 the pupils measured the effect of exercise on their pulse rate. Evidence from the scrutiny of the pupils’ work and from discussions with pupils indicates that the school is right to extend the range of this work. It would also be beneficial to the pupils’ learning if they were to plan and develop aspects of their own learning in these subjects.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

19. To further raise the quality of the pupils’ learning the school should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Provide more opportunities for the pupils to take greater initiative and responsibility for their learning by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 ensuring that teachers’ planning identifies opportunities for the pupils to take the initiative and responsibility for aspects of their own learning by encouraging them to carry out independent research in the subjects such as history, geography and religious education;  continuing to extend the amount of investigational and problem solving work in mathematics and science;  providing training to develop the teachers’ skills in planning for pupils to improve their independent learning skills. (Paragraph 18) Greswold Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than four percentage points

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 28 527

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 25

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 58

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 55

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 14

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Greswold Primary School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 39 46 85

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 37 35 37 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 45 43 43

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 96 (96) 92 (96) 94 (99) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 36 37 38 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 44 42 43

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 94 (96) 93 (96) 95 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 47 43 90

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 41 45 46 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 41 42 43

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 91 (91) 97 (88) 99 (98) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 42 43 46 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 42 42 43

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 93 (91) 94 (88) 99 (99) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Greswold Primary School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 5 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 21 Financial year 2002/2003

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1176390

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 17 Total expenditure 1184785

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 299 Expenditure per pupil 2029

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 53547

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 45152

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 28

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 97.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 8.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 7.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Greswold Primary School - 20

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 64 33 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 63 37 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 51 9 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 49 44 4 3 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 26 1 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 80 19 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 58 35 6 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 81 19 1 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 71 29 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 46 36 11 1 6 Greswold Primary School - 21

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