Greenfield Primary School

GREENFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th – 10 th March 2004

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GREENFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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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GREENFIELD 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. Greenfield Primary School i

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 112

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Shaw Street Greenfield Oldham Lancashire Postcode: OL3 7AA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01457 872831 Fax number: 01457 871980

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs L Stacey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 18 th May 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Greenfield Primary School serves the village of Greenfield in Oldham. Its intake is mixed, with pupils coming from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. Attainment on entry is in line with that expected nationally. Almost all pupils’ backgrounds are white European; there are small numbers of pupils of dual heritage. No pupils speak English as an additional language. Few pupils are on the special educational needs register: their needs include moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, speech or communication difficulties, and autism. The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school other than at the usual times is relatively high. The school takes part in a number of projects to widen the cultural horizons of its pupils, including links with contrasting schools and the teaching of languages throughout the school. Greenfield Primary School ii

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23031 Ian Knight Lead inspector Mathematics and information and communication technology. 1311 Barry Wood Lay inspector 22644 Barbara Hill Team inspector The Foundation Stage, science, art and design, design and technology, music and physical education. 8316 Jozefa O’Hare Team inspector English, geography, history, religious education and special educational needs.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

VT Education Old Garden House The Lanterns Bridge Lane London SW11 3AD

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Greenfield Primary School iii

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 3

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 3

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 7

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good and improving school, offering good value for money. Throughout the school pupils achieve well because of good teaching rooted in a good curriculum and well-used assessment. The school is led and managed well, includes all pupils very well and has a very positive ethos.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• The school has a very good ethos in which all pupils are valued and achieve well. • Teaching is good: the enthusiasm and skill of teachers make pupils want to learn. • Children’s physical development in Reception is hindered by the lack of suitable accommodation and resources. • Staff care about pupils; as a result, pupils have very good attitudes and behave very well. • Pupils’ learning is enriched by the school’s very good cultural links with other schools. • The school is enthusiastically led and skilfully managed. • Not all senior managers have a full role in rigorously checking the school’s work and influencing its future development.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has made good progress since its last inspection. Standards, achievement and teaching have all improved and the most capable pupils are now attaining better than before. Resources have been improved in areas identified as having shortfalls, and their storage is better organised. Co-ordinators’ monitoring roles have increased.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English C D C C mathematics A* B E D science A D A B Key: A* - very good; A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 6.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement throughout the school is now good. A grade of A* in the table above indicates that the school was in the top five per cent nationally. Children in Reception are on course to exceed the expected goals in all areas except for physical development. In physical development, they are unable to reach the expected standards because the school does not have enough space and large play equipment for them to develop the skills of climbing, clambering, balancing and pedalling. Nevertheless, children achieve well overall in Reception. In Year 2, pupils’ attainment is above expectations in all aspects of English, mathematics, science, art and design, and physical education. Standards are in line with expectations in the remaining subjects except for music, in which there was insufficient evidence to form a view. When these standards are considered in the light of pupils’ previous attainment and the level of challenge they face in lessons, then pupils in

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Years 1 and 2 achieve well. Standards in Year 6 are above expectations in English, mathematics, science, religious education, and art and design. Standards are in line with expectations in the other subjects, again with the exception of music where a secure judgement could not be made. These standards also represent good achievement for these pupils. Greenfield Primary School 2

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Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

are progressing very well. Pupils demonstrate very good attitudes and behaviour throughout the school. Attendance and punctuality are good. The school makes very good provision for pupils to appreciate their own and others’ cultural traditions through very good links with schools in the UK and abroad.

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The school provides a good quality of education. Teaching and learning are good

throughout the school . Teachers respect pupils and have high expectations of their attitudes and behaviour. Pupils willingly respond by working hard and productively. Teaching assistants are used well to support learning, especially in Reception and Years 1 and 2. Good assessment procedures are used well to ensure that all pupils are challenged at the right level in lessons, and each pupil has targets to help them understand how well they are doing, and how to improve.

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The school provides a good quality of education. Teaching and learning are good

The curriculum is good and enhanced by very good cultural links and extra-curricular activities. However, children in Reception do not have full access to the physical development part of their curriculum because of a lack of space and resources. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The school provides good levels of care, guidance and support for its pupils, involving them very well by seeking, valuing and acting on their views. The partnership with parents and the community is good; the school has very good and productive partnerships with other schools at home and abroad.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school is well led and managed. The headteacher provides good leadership to the school, soundly supported by senior managers and other staff. The school is well managed, but not all senior staff are able to contribute to the monitoring of the school’s work or to influence its future direction. The governing body operates satisfactorily overall, understands the strengths and weaknesses of the school well, supports and challenges senior managers effectively, but is still working to shape the vision and strategic direction of the school more effectively. However, not all the required information is contained within the prospectus.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very satisfied with the school. They believe that teaching is good and that their children are treated fairly. Some feel that there is excessive bullying in the school, although the inspection team found this not to be the case. Pupils are similarly very happy with the school. They say they have to work hard, but that teachers explain work well and they get help when they need it. They feel that other children do not always behave well.

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The most important things the school should do to improve are:

• Seek to improve the accommodation and resources available to develop the physical skills of climbing, clambering, pedalling and balancing for Reception children. • Clarify the roles and responsibilities of senior managers so that all can take a full part in the school’s further development.

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and, to meet statutory requirements:

• Ensure that all the required information is included in the prospectus. Greenfield Primary School 3

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils throughout the school achieve well because of good teaching. Standards are above expectations in the core subjects.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are now challenged appropriately and as a result they achieve well. • Standards are good in investigative and experimental science. • Children in Reception cannot attain the Early Learning Goal in physical development because the accommodation is unsuitable and there are not enough resources for climbing, clambering, balancing and pedalling.

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Commentary

1. In the National Curriculum tests in 2003 for pupils in Year 2, standards in the school were well above average in mathematics, average in reading, but well below average in writing. If the school is only compared to schools with a similar intake, then the same picture emerges. The school explains that the poor showing in writing came about as a combination of several factors: there were few pupils in that year group, so small differences had a significant impact, and there were more pupils with special educational needs relating to writing than in other years. In addition, some pupils with low attainment came to the school only a short time before the tests with too little time for the school to enable them to make really good progress. Finally, the permanent teacher was absent for most of the year and the disruption caused by this affected writing standards more than other areas. The inspection team confirmed these factors. A glance at the distribution of levels achieved shows that,

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Commentary

in reading and mathematics, good numbers of pupils achieved the expected Level 2, but the proportion gaining the higher level, Level 3, was disappointing. High numbers did attain the ‘near- miss’ Level 2A, however. In writing, no pupils gained Level 3, and too many gained the lower level, Level 1. There has been no secure trend to recent test results, partly because of the variations inherent in small year groups. There are no tests in the other core subject of science, but teachers’ assessments show that standards were well above average.

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Commentary

2. The table below summarises the school’s performance last year in Year 2. In the table, one ‘point’ represents approximately the progress expected in a term. The expected Level 2 is represented by 15 points and the higher Level 3 by 21 points.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 15.6 (15.3) 15.8 (15.7) writing 13.0 (15.0) 14.4 (14.6) mathematics 17.5 (15.7) 16.3 (16.5) There were 13 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

3. In the tests for pupils in Year 6, standards were above average in English and science, and average in mathematics. If the school is compared only to schools that performed similarly in the Year 2 tests four years previously, then a brighter picture is painted: standards in English were well above average, and standards in science were above average. However, standards in mathematics were below average. When all three subjects are considered together, this group of Greenfield Primary School 4 pupils made average progress during their time in the juniors. The distribution of levels makes it clear why mathematics was weaker: too many pupils gained the lower level, Level 3, and too few gained the higher level, Level 5. Again, there is no secure trend to recent results, except in science, which has improved year-on-year since 2000.

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Commentary

4. In the table, the expected Level 4 is represented by 27 points and the higher Level 5 by 33 points.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 28.3 (28.9) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 26.6 (28.4) 26.8 (26.7) science 29.4 (29.3) 28.6 (28.3) There were 28 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

5. However, test results tell only part of the story. They refer to standards last year in only a few subjects. In particular, they give no clues as to achievement, that is, ‘Are pupils doing as well as they ought?’ Inspection evidence can fill some of these gaps.

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Commentary

6. Children enter Reception with standards that are about average. Many have attended the on- site pre-school and are well prepared for school. Teaching in Reception is good, and children are on track to exceed the Early Learning Goals in all areas except for their physical development. The school does not have enough space or equipment for children to develop the skills of clambering, climbing, balancing and pedalling, although they are able to develop the fine control skills of using pencils, scissors and other tools. This progress, and the challenge with which they are presented in lessons, indicates that these children achieve well during their time in Reception, getting a good start ready for the rigours of the National Curriculum.

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Commentary

7. The school regards the low standards in writing last year as a ‘blip’ because of particular circumstances. These circumstances are no longer affecting learning, and consequently standards are now better. This is the result of further good teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2. Standards observed are above expectations in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, as well as in art and design and physical education. Standards are as expected in information and communication technology (ICT), religious education, design and technology, geography and history. There was insufficient evidence to form a view on standards in music. All pupils, including those with the potential for high attainment or who have special educational needs, are challenged at the right level in classes. As a result they work hard and make good progress. This indicates that achievement in the infants is good overall.

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Commentary

8. Good teaching and learning continue in the juniors and pupils here are making good progress based on their previous attainment. In Year 6, standards are above expectations in the core subjects as well as religious education and art and design. Standards are in line with expectations in the remaining subjects except for music, in which there was insufficient evidence to form a judgement. Again, pupils are challenged beyond their comfort zone and so they work hard to learn and achieve well.

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Commentary

9. Throughout the school the skills of investigation and experimentation in science are emphasised alongside the recall of facts, so that pupils gain a good understanding of science beyond just the repetition of facts by rote.

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Commentary

10. Pupils identified as having special educational needs have a wide range of needs and benefit from the specific help they receive, particularly in English, mathematics and in personal development. Throughout the school, these pupils make good progress, relative to their abilities, and successfully achieve many of their individual targets because the school is committed to inclusion. For the same reason, pupils who are gifted and talented achieve well. Greenfield Primary School 5 11. At the time of the last inspection, the most capable pupils were not always challenged enough and so they under-achieved. A key issue obliged the school to improve these pupils’ achievement. The school has set procedures into place to ensure that assessment is accurate and used effectively in planning. As a result, these pupils are now challenged well and their achievement now

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

12. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. Their personal development is good and is effectively supported by the school’s strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. Pupils’ attendance and punctuality at school are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in the Reception class make a very positive start to their school lives and have very good attitudes and behaviour. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour, both inside and outside the classroom, are consistently very good and contribute to their good achievement. • Pupils are enthusiastic to learn and take responsibility. • Pupils’ good relationships with the staff and each other effectively support their confidence and safety. • The good provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural education motivates pupils to do their best. • The school’s attendance and punctuality are good.

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Commentary

13. Since the last inspection, the school’s attendance has been maintained above the national average. In the present year, the attendance of younger pupils is better than older pupils, and one in eight pupils has poor attendance despite the school’s communications with parents. Unauthorised absence is low, but holidays taken during term time do contribute significantly to absence. The attendance officer is effective in assisting the school to focus parents on their children’s poor attendance and its adverse impact on their progress. Pupils and parents make a determined effort to attend the school on time at the start of the day.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.7 School data 0.3 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

14. Most children have experienced pre-school before entering the Reception class. They make good progress and exceed the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development by the end of their Reception year. They are enthusiastic and interested in having-a-go at the activities. They make firm friends with the staff and each other. Children’s very good attitudes and behaviour ensure that they are well prepared for the next stage of education.

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Commentary

15. Pupils willingly come to school and enjoy the activities. They have a good understanding of the headteacher’s and staff’s expectations. In all classes, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. They show increasing confidence and enthusiasm through good teaching and the teachers’ ability to ensure good behaviour and motivation. Pupils listen well and concentrate on tasks. As a result, the pace of lessons is always brisk. Lessons flow without interruption, even when classes have a high proportion of pupils with challenging behaviour and emotional problems. These pupils are well included in all classroom activities and make good progress. Greenfield Primary School 6 16. Pupils build good relationships, and they work well together in pairs or groups. They trust the headteacher and staff with any problems. Around the school, pupils behave very well. They learn

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Commentary

how to interact with adults socially, and are tolerant of each other. They relax and play safely together, without bullying or harassment being an issue. The school has needed to take very occasional action on exclusions in the last two years when vulnerable pupils’ challenging behaviour has flared to the surface, but this has been quickly resolved. Pupils learn to pull together in teams and value each other’s contributions. They show respect for the school environment and resources. Pupils are eager to accept opportunities to take responsibility as school monitors, and through the school council and ECO Schools Initiative. Older pupils look after younger pupils well.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 108 3 0 White – any other White background 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 1 1 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Commentary

17. Pupils with special educational needs relate well to each other in their groups and in whole class situations. They contribute in lessons, enjoy being involved with their peers and develop a positive self-image through the effective support they receive from their teachers and teaching assistants. In consequence, they have positive attitudes to their work and behave very well.

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Commentary

18. The personal development of pupils is good. Their moral and cultural education provided by the school is very good; their spiritual and social education is good, although not always planned for explicitly. Daily collective worship meets statutory requirements and assemblies hold the interest of pupils. Pupils have a perceptive knowledge and respect for the celebrations and beliefs of other faiths, and the school has good links with the local village churches. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong through classroom discussions, the development of classroom rules, and the enjoyment of Golden Time. They have a good appreciation of self-discipline, and anti-social behaviour does not disturb the school. The school’s very good ethos is successfully allowing pupils to develop their self-esteem and confidence. Lunchtimes are happy, relaxed social occasions, where pupils can mix easily with each other. The school has developed good links with the local

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Commentary

community to develop pupils’ knowledge of their local cultural roots and traditions. The school is very proud of its links and visits to schools with a large population of minority ethnic groups. This has greatly furthered pupils’ understanding of other faiths and cultures and their tolerance of people different to themselves. Pupils enjoy learning to speak Spanish, promoted through their very strong links to the secondary school, and they are competitive in sporting events against other schools. Greenfield Primary School 7

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good quality of education. Teaching and learning are good, based on a good curriculum. The school cares for its pupils well, and involves them in its work very well. Very good cultural links with other schools enhance pupils’ understanding of life in a multi-cultural society.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning throughout the school are good. Assessment is used well to plan lessons in which all pupils, regardless of capability or special need, are challenged well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers and pupils respect one another. As a result, lessons are not disrupted and they proceed at a brisk pace. • Assessment is used well to plan lessons that challenge all in the class. • A good emphasis on basic skills in Reception ensures that children are prepared for the National Curriculum. • Teachers use ICT well to support learning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 24 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor 1 5 13 5 0 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Commentary

19. Teaching throughout the school is good. Teachers have a clear understanding of the areas they teach and of the needs of young learners, especially in Years 1 and 2. Teachers choose their methods well so as to encourage and engage pupils, especially in Reception. This means that pupils work very hard and productively in lessons and make good gains in their skills and understanding. Lessons are carefully planned and organised so that no time is lost. This is helped by teachers’ very good skills of behaviour management, based on very good relationships in class, that make pupils keen to work. Teaching assistants are used very well in Reception and Years 1 and 2, and well in Years 3 to 6. The very good teamwork between teachers and support staff is a major factor in ensuring that the needs of pupils with special educational needs are met well. Teachers modify their questions to ensure that these pupils are fully included. Teachers ensure that

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Commentary

those pupils who find learning difficult are appropriately supported by the very effective work of the teaching assistants.

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Commentary

20. In all classrooms, there is a clear atmosphere of mutual respect between adults and pupils. This allows teachers to maintain order and a calm working atmosphere with minimal fuss. As a result, time is used to allow teachers to teach and pupils to learn. The consequence of this is that lessons move with a brisk pace and learning is enhanced. This happened in a number of lessons. A further factor in ensuring that pupils get the most out of lessons is teachers’ use of assessment information. A variety of methods are used during lessons and afterwards to ensure that teachers really know how well pupils are doing. This is recorded in planning so that future lessons can respond to individual needs. The outcome of this is lessons in which all pupils, including the most capable and those with special educational needs, are challenged beyond their comfort zone and make better progress than would be expected. This process is supported by the skilful intervention

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Commentary

of teachers and teaching assistants as they work alongside pupils, questioning and explaining, to ensure that all have the depth of understanding they need. Greenfield Primary School 8 Example of outstanding practice Excellent teaching challenged pupils and reinforced their understanding. In this excellent mathematics lesson for pupils in Years 3 and 4, highly effective planning and a brisk pace ensured that all pupils achieved very well. The concept of multiplication was extremely well reinforced with the whole class by using grids of dots and asking pupils to group them; for example, a three by four grid was marked off in groups of three in one colour and groups of four in another. This pictorial representation really made clear to pupils that the order in multiplication is irrelevant, and that the easiest order can be used. Later, each group in the class had a carefully planned task. The most capable were really challenged as they were

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Commentary

asked to find a method to multiply 9 by 6 using their existing knowledge of the ten times table (none in the class had yet learned the nine times or six times tables). This problem generated masses of good quality discussion as pupils eventually decided that one could do 10 x 6 and then subtract six, rather than subtract one. They were subsequently able to explain this method to the class, in response to the teacher’s probing, ‘Why did you …?’ questions.

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Commentary

21. Lessons in Reception are also carefully planned, based on very good assessment, to reinforce the basic skills of communication, language and literacy and mathematics, as well as children’s personal, social and emotional development. In a supportive atmosphere, children grow in confidence and make good progress to exceed the expectations in all areas except for physical development.

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Commentary

22. The school is well resourced for computers and most staff are confident in their use. All classrooms have at least two computers available for pupils to use, and some have four. This is in addition to the suite of computers available to teach the discrete skills of ICT. Teachers make effective use of computer-linked whiteboards to motivate pupils. In one lesson observed, pupils were working hard to pull together threads for a local competition about Easter eggs. They reinforced mathematics through the construction of charts showing, for example, best and worst value for money, and made links with literacy as they produced snappy adverts for eggs, combining text and graphics effectively.

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The curriculum

The quality of the curriculum is good. It is enriched very well through extra-curricular activities and links with other schools. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory, except for children’s physical development in Reception.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is very successful in ensuring that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. • The school has a very good inclusive ethos, ensuring that all pupils receive the educational diet they need. • Enrichment through cultural and multi-cultural provision is very good. • The school offers strong support for learning outside the school day. • Space for outdoor activities is limited. • There is not enough space or resources in Reception for children’s physical development.

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Commentary

23. The school’s commitment to promoting equality of access and opportunity for everyone leads to a very good inclusive ethos. The school provides a broad range of curricular opportunities for all pupils including those with special educational needs. The individual needs of all pupils are met because work is closely matched to their capabilities and enables them to develop their own learning. These are important factors that result in the good standards attained by the pupils.

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Commentary

24. The school seeks to support and enhance pupils’ learning through links with the community and the arts, and by being involved in local and wider issues. For example, the pupils took part in the Greenfield Primary School 9 Saddleworth Cross-Country Championship and are partners in the ECO Schools Initiative to build a more suitable future for Oldham. The curriculum is further enriched by the school’s cultural links with the local Saddleworth Language College, with schools in Spain and with local schools with large intakes of Muslim pupils, enabling pupils to better understand their role in multi-cultural Britain.

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Commentary

25. Pupils are very well prepared for the later stages of learning. The good curriculum ensures that pupils move confidently from one phase of their education to the next and a transition mentor provides very good support when the pupils move to secondary school. Aspects of the curriculum that were weak at the last inspection are now covered well and the curriculum for children in Reception is thorough.

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Commentary

26. Support for learning outside the school day is strong, with a very good number of out-of-school clubs, some of which are led by parents. Tuition in music is offered and a homework club is run weekly.

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Commentary

27. The school has a small teaching staff, which is suitably qualified and experienced to deliver the National Curriculum. The teaching assistants, who have qualifications in childcare, offer classroom support. Resources and accommodation are satisfactory and where adaptations and changes have been made, for example in the ICT suite and the library, the environment is welcoming and attractive. However, the lack of suitable accommodation and resources in Reception, including limited space for outdoor activities, hinders children’s physical development.

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Care, guidance and support

The school is effective in ensuring pupils’ care, welfare and health and safety. It provides them with good support, advice and guidance and its work and development is highly effective.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher and staff have a very good knowledge of their pupils and support them very well. This enables pupils to do their best. • The very vigilant staff have a thorough awareness of child protection procedures that minimises the external risks to pupils. • Teachers’ skills in using very good behaviour procedures allow vulnerable pupils to enjoy lessons and achieve well. • Pupils settle happily into the school and feel part of the school family. • The school receives good support from outside agencies in caring for pupils. • Pupils feel very actively involved in shaping the work and development of their school. • The governing body has an unsure knowledge of health and safety responsibilities and procedures. • The school has a high number of minor accidents caused by the unsuitable playground surface.

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Commentary

28. Since the last inspection, the care of pupils has been strengthened and the key issue regarding risk assessment has been addressed. The good care of pupils receives a high priority, and greatly contributes to their good achievement. The headteacher is very dedicated to his pastoral duties and all staff are committed to supporting children and providing a stable and caring environment in which they can thrive. Staff have a very good knowledge of all their pupils, which also often extends to parents. This care and support is greatly appreciated by all parents, who feel comfortable in approaching the headteacher and staff with their concerns and problems.

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Commentary

29. The headteacher and governors have developed satisfactory policies, which are well implemented. The health and safety policy was not seen and governors have an imprecise knowledge of their responsibilities. However, health and safety procedures are implemented well under the direction of the headteacher. The school is safe, but there are more minor bumps than Greenfield Primary School 10 usual, associated with the poor playground surface. There are enough first aiders, and medical procedures are satisfactory, albeit in confined conditions. Child protection procedures conform to local guidelines. Most staff have received child protection awareness training in the past year, and all staff are very mindful of the potential risks to pupils. The delivery of the sex education policy is well supported by the school nurse. Over the last few years the school has been self-sufficient in

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Commentary

implementing its welfare policies, but there is now greater involvement of outside professional agencies.

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Commentary

30. Teachers’ implementation of the behaviour policy is a strong feature of their support of pupils. All pupils have very good attitudes and behaviour, and self-discipline is an expectation. The very good level of teachers’ understanding of behaviour and motivational methods allows lessons to flow without interruption, even when classes have a high proportion of pupils with challenging behaviour and emotional problems. Vulnerable pupils are consistently well included in all classroom activities and make good progress. This is further confirmed by observation of teachers’ and pupils’ interactions, and conversations with pupils.

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Commentary

31. The good arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress help to support their achievement. Teachers identify pupils with special educational needs and they develop good individual educational plans with pupils and parents. The tracking of pupils’ personal development is mostly informal, except for pupils with individual educational plans, and is usually sufficient for the needs of this small school. There is good feedback and discussion of issues between the teacher and the headteacher at internal staff meetings, but these discussions do not benefit from formalised recorded information or an analysis of data for trends.

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Commentary

32. The induction of pupils new to the school is good, and pupils and parents feel welcome in the school and knowledgeable about school routines. Children in the on-site pre-school start their induction in the term prior to entering the Reception class and make a transition free from anxiety. A number of pupils join the school later in the year and the headteacher is very caring with both pupils and parents so as to integrate them into school life quickly and sensitively. Parents appreciate the school’s efforts in giving their child a successful fresh start when there have been problems at another school.

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Commentary

33. Pupils are well aware of their individual targets and feel that they can influence their performance. The pupils’ progress files, displaying their targets, indicate a pride in their achievement. The school treats pupils with respect and pupils feel that teachers listen to them and value their views. The school has consulted pupils through questionnaires in the last few years and this has given the headteacher valuable insights into pupils’ ideas and has produced real initiatives in the school development plan. Both the ECO Team and the School Council have become important forums for ideas and enthusiastic projects.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Parents are very pleased with the school and the education it provides. The school has developed a good partnership with parents. The school’s links with the community are good. The school’s links with other schools are very productive.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents have a very high level of respect for the efforts of the headteacher and staff in giving their children a good quality education. • The partnership with parents supports the school well and makes an important contribution to pupils’ achievement. • All pupils benefit greatly from the school’s good links with the community. • The school has very good relationships with the pre-school, other primary schools and the secondary language school, which make a rich contribution to the pupils’ education. • The school prospectus has significant omissions of information for parents. Greenfield Primary School 11

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Commentary

34. The headteacher gives a very high priority to the relationships with parents, and wants the school to be welcoming and caring for them and their children. He is successful in achieving this goal and parents are significantly more positive about the school now than at the time of the last inspection. Parents are very satisfied, and they show very high confidence in most aspects of the school’s work. Some parents told the inspector that, ‘this is a marvellous school’. Parents are generally content with what the school provides, although some would like to be better informed about their children’s progress and some feel that bullying is an issue. Inspectors judged that the information for parents is satisfactory overall and that there are no indications of bullying presently in the school.

p.16

Commentary

35. The partnership with parents is good and makes an important contribution to children’s learning. Most parents trust the school, and feel that their role is valued and respected, but a small minority of parents are suspicious of the school, despite its best efforts. A majority of parents assist pupils with homework. Some help in the school and parent governor positions are energetically filled. There are good turnouts of parents for progress evenings and school events, including the annual governors’ meeting. There is a strong ‘parents in partnership’ fund raising committee that is well supported.

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Commentary

36. The school’s prospectus is unsatisfactory, as it does not contain all the required information for parents. The annual governors’ report to parents is a good document that can be easily understood by all parents. Annual reports to parents are satisfactory as they give informative statements of what children can do in all National Curriculum subjects and religious education. However, they do not contain a review of past or future academic targets. Pupils contribute to their reports but parents’ comments are few. Most parents feel comfortable with the opportunities they have with the school to talk about their children’s progress, although some parents would like more such opportunities.

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Commentary

37. Parents are encouraged to help with homework. The school provides parents with advice on literacy, numeracy and on playing games with their children. It wants parents to be well informed through regular newsletters and it has systematically sought parents’ views through questionnaires. These have been effective in detecting their ideas on required changes.

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Commentary

38. Links with the local community are good. The school has a long history as part of the village and the relationships are mutually beneficial. The school is well used by local groups, and adults from the community use the ICT suite. The annual village Olympics use the school’s facilities extensively, whilst local small businesses are generous in their donations to school functions. Relationships with the local churches are thriving and pupils make regular excursions into the community to enrich their studies of buildings and the countryside. There is a good throughput of visitors, particularly to assist with sporting activities.

p.16

Commentary

39. The school has very good links with other schools. The relationship with the Saddleworth Language College is particularly strong. Pupils transfer to the secondary school safe in the knowledge that their work with some of the staff on modern foreign languages and with their transition mentor will enable them to make the best possible start. The school has a very close working relationship with local primary schools to the benefit of pupils’ multi-cultural education through the Heartstone Odyssey Project. They are able to compare many aspects of their life and environment with local schools that have large numbers of pupils from minority ethnic communities through visits, pen-pals, attendance at celebrations and joint residential trips. The school works well with the on-site pre-school so that children make an anxiety free transition into the Reception class. Greenfield Primary School 12

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher provides good personal leadership, soundly supported by other senior staff. The governors perform their duties satisfactorily, with a good understanding of the school and good levels of challenge to managers. Management of the school is good. However, the prospectus does not include all of the required information.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher leads energetically with a clear vision of excellence for the school. • All staff show a real commitment to educational inclusion, ensuring that all pupils have exactly the right educational diet. • Performance management is used particularly well to ensure that all staff understand, and work towards, the same priorities. • Long term strategic planning, whilst satisfactory, is not cohesive enough. • The roles of senior managers are not always clear. • The headteacher and governing body ensure that the school’s strong financial position protects it from future variations in pupil numbers.

p.17

Commentary

40. The headteacher knows the school and all within it extremely well. He speaks caringly of individual pupils or members of staff and works hard to ensure that the staff work as a cohesive team. He is very successful in these endeavours. He also has a vision in which all pupils receive exactly the right levels of challenge and in which they have the widest possible range of experiences. This drive, supported by other staff and other schools, has led to the successful links with the local language college that allow all pupils, from Reception to Year 6, to experience foreign languages. It has also fostered close links with local schools in markedly different circumstances: in particular the joint residential visit with a predominantly Muslim school, to the benefit of both communities. Plans are well advanced to use ICT to forge strong links with schools in Spain to complement the language provision in the school. However, as shown by the judgements contained in this report, the school’s

p.17

Commentary

central role – that of providing a broad education – is not neglected.

p.17

Commentary

41. The previous inspection report judged the management of special educational needs to be unsatisfactory. Since then, the school has made very good improvements: management is now good and this results in effective provision for pupils with special educational needs. This is part of the school’s philosophy of inclusion that underpins its thinking. The school was also then obliged to improve the attainment of those with the potential for high standards. This issue has been thoroughly addressed and all pupils are now challenged effectively at their own level in lessons, contributing to the good achievement. Another factor in this improvement is the effective use of performance management. The targets set for the headteacher, especially regarding the progress of pupils, are borne closely in mind as targets are set for other members of staff to ensure that all pull in the same direction. This cohesion is not, however, as obvious in strategic planning. The

p.17

Commentary

governing body carried out a self-evaluation exercise in which they decided that their strategic role was underdeveloped. They are now more involved than before, although there is still some way to go. Targets in the school development plan do not always reflect the school’s real commitment to equal opportunities and high standards for all, and subject action plans do not complement the whole school plan in the way that individual performance management targets reflect the headteacher’s and school priorities.

p.17

Commentary

42. The school is a small one and has a disproportionate number of senior managers. Currently, most do not have really meaty whole-school roles to carry out. They do not all share in the monitoring and evaluation of the school. As a result, they are not able to be a fully effective force in school improvement, and this affects their status in the school.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003 Greenfield Primary School 13 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 322,468 Balance from previous year 37,864 Total expenditure 339,033 Balance carried forward to the next 21,299 Expenditure per pupil 3,027

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Commentary

43. The financial management of the school is good and there is a good focus on best value strategies. The school is well supported by the local education authority bursar service. Over the last few years, the governing body and the headteacher have prioritised the maintenance of five classes, the associated teacher staffing levels, and the funding for additional classroom support. They have prudently implemented and monitored annual budgets, which have protected their strategy against the variability in the number on pupils on the school roll in future years. This has been consistently achieved and can be sustained into the future through the present carry forward balance that exceeds the five per cent guideline. The cost of educating each pupil exceeds national averages due to the effects of small class sizes and some bought-in specialised services to support the school. Despite expenditure levels being high in comparison with other schools, the school gives

p.18

Commentary

good value for money. Greenfield Primary School 14

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. The curriculum in Reception is good, with the emphasis on learning through practical and play experiences. The teaching is at least good in all areas of learning and very good in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, and mathematical development. As a result, children learn and achieve well. The teacher has good knowledge and understanding of the Early Learning Goals and plans effectively to attain them. Improvement since the previous inspection is good. Assessment is very good. In the six areas of learning, the steps reached are noted termly and parents are kept well informed of their children’s progress. The good induction process helps to ensure the children settle happily and feel secure. Although the lack of a well resourced outside area is limiting, the teacher makes good use of the indoor hall.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well. • Adults are very good role models for the children.

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Commentary

45. Children are taught very well so that they settle emotionally and learn quickly, developing an awareness of their own needs, views and feelings and becoming sensitive to others. For example, after listening to the story of ‘Dogger’, they discussed how the boy felt after losing his toy dog. Close relationships were evident when the teacher showed her own teddy bear and talked about how special he was to her. The children learn to play together happily and share or take turns with the toys and equipment. They concentrate well in activities led by the teacher and spend sustained periods on tasks that they have chosen for themselves. All adults provide very good role models for the children and treat them and each other with respect. The children behave well and show independence, enthusiasm and willingness to help, for example, when ‘tidy-up-time’ is called they race to beat the sand-timer. They are well on course to reach the Early Learning Goals and the

p.19

Commentary

majority will have exceeded them when they enter Year 1.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children learn and achieve well because teaching is very good. • Children’s vocabulary is developed well. • The development of linking sounds to letters is very good. • The strategy of writing together is a strength. Greenfield Primary School 15

p.19

Commentary

46. The teaching is very good and children make good progress: they are on track to exceed the Early Learning Goals by the end of Reception. They enjoy listening to stories and sharing books with adults and with each other. For example, when the teacher read, ‘Don’t forget the bacon’, the children joined in enthusiastically, reading the words in the speech bubbles. Good development of vocabulary and technical language is evident when the children point out and name punctuation, question, and exclamation marks. Basic learning skills are very well taught. Lively teaching makes linking sounds to letters fun when the children act out the sounds: for example, shaking like jelly at the letter ‘j’. The children enjoy the plentiful activities for writing. Most hold pencils correctly and concentrate hard when forming letters of the alphabet and writing short sentences. In writing together, the teacher made a very good use of the story about forgetting the bacon by making a

p.20

Commentary

shopping list. The children were keen to volunteer to write the words on the flip chart. Speaking and listening skills are developed effectively, and the more able can converse using full sentences. However, the lack of adult support in role-play hinders the development of imaginative language.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching with effective planning and challenge promote learning. • Time and pace are used well to accelerate learning. • Demonstration by children is an effective tool in developing children’s understanding. • Assessment is used very well to focus teaching. • Many children achieve well and exceed expected standards.

p.20

Commentary

47. The children make good progress because of very good teaching. Imaginative teaching keeps a quick pace so that the children are keen to learn. For example, in counting activities, the teacher used musical instruments in counting strikes and beats. The children were challenged when the teacher increased the speed of the beats. Children can count to twenty forwards and backwards and many can count well beyond. Good use was made of the hundred square when counting in tens and as a tool when children needed help in completing number ladders. Children are encouraged to demonstrate on the flip chart, for example, how they can find ‘one more’ or ‘ add two numbers together’. They are able to describe shapes and use methods to solve problems. Assessment is used very well: assessments are recorded on the weekly planning sheets for future use. For example, ‘This group knew the numbers but wrote them back to front: I need to work on this’.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good range of opportunities available helps children to achieve the expected goals.

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Commentary

48. Children achieve well and are on course to exceed this Early Learning Goal by the time they finish Reception. They increase their knowledge and understanding of the world because they are well taught. They use ICT with growing confidence. For example, they make pictures of fruit and are Greenfield Primary School 16 confident to type, ‘This is a picture of fruit’, using the shift key to display capital letters. They can find out and identify some features of living things, looking at similarities and differences. Expectations are high; for example, children were expected to observe and find out about animals and sort them as ‘on the farm’ or ‘not on the farm’. In an activity about investigating materials, the children explored different types of materials and were encouraged to feel the texture and describe their appearance. Very good language development was evident in the reporting: ‘silver paper shines in your face and

p.20

Commentary

red plastic makes your face red’. The children can build and construct with a wide range of objects.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have a wide range of indoor activities. • The limited outdoor space and unsafe surface restricts the range of opportunities that can be offered. • The lack of large apparatus, including high and low equipment, hinders physical development.

p.21

Commentary

49. Throughout the day, children have a wide range of indoor activities for physical development in honing their fine skills, by using pencils, crayons or paints. They handle tools such as scissors and rolling pins with confidence, attaining the goals expected in this area of learning, but not reaching them in gross skills. In the indoor hall, the children can move confidently and are aware of space. However, the lack of large pieces of apparatus, such as a climbing frame, means that children do not have readily available equipment to practise their skills.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The provision for children to explore colour, texture and shape is good. • The use of imagination in art, music and play is good. • Construction, for example, using small world equipment is well resourced. • There is not enough adult support or exciting resources to stimulate imaginative language in role-play.

p.21

Commentary

50. Teaching in this area of learning is good. As a result the children learn well, make good progress and are on track to exceed the Early Learning Goals. Quality work is seen in painting and collage. For example, stimulating resources, including beads, glitter, cellophane and felt were provided to complete a picture of a fish. Animal cards were used to help the children to draw pictures. The children used imagination in play by making an ocean for the fish in the water tray and a zoo for the animals using the small world equipment. In music, they sing tunefully with good rhythm, know the names of the musical instruments and can keep the beat when drumming. Children enjoyed role-play in the ‘Vets’, but adults do not participate enough to support children’s creativity and vocabulary. Greenfield Primary School 17

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils of all abilities achieve well. • Good teaching enables pupils to reach above average standards throughout the school. • Pupils thoroughly enjoy English and behave very well in lessons. • Leadership and management of the subject are good. • Literacy skills are applied well in other subjects, contributing to the improvement in writing.

p.22

Commentary

51. Raising the proportion of pupils who attained the higher National Curriculum levels was a key issue for action at the last inspection. Since then, the school has made good improvement, resulting in all pupils achieving well, irrespective of their abilities and background. Boys and girls do equally well. This good achievement of all pupils is the direct result of the school’s very strong emphasis on inclusion. There are no barriers to pupils’ learning. Evidence from this inspection indicates that the pupils in Year 2 attain levels that are above average overall. Some weaknesses in writing are being addressed very well by skilful teaching in that class. Standards in Year 6 are similarly above expectations.

p.22

Commentary

52. Teaching is good. The best lessons are characterised by enthusiastic, animated teaching, and consistently challenging tasks, which inspire the pupils to learn. There is a strong emphasis on speaking and listening. The impact of this can be seen in all classes, because teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to express themselves. Teachers value what pupils say, and build on their contributions very well. Through enthusiastic teaching, the pupils enjoy their learning. In the mixed Year 1 and 2 class, the pupils showed a particular love of books, because of the enthusiastic teaching. When asked to name a favourite book, one pupil said that he had ‘lots of books; they are all exciting’. Their positive attitudes and their very good behaviour enable pupils to benefit from their lessons. Pupils are heard reading regularly at school and at home, and teaching assistants make a significant contribution to pupils’ reading. Pupils maintain these attitudes in Year 6.

p.22

Commentary

53. Teachers pay close attention to the development of reading and writing. Strong links across all elements of English make a positive impact upon standards. The pupils are provided with enough time for to engage in sustained writing. There are good examples of well-extended and organised writing, such as that about the ‘Face Beetle’ or about an imagined monster. These show lively writing, which hold the reader’s interest successfully. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of the good support provided for them.

p.22

Commentary

54. Leadership and management of English are good, and teaching and learning is effectively monitored to ensure that all pupils have work that meets their ability. Assessments are regular and thorough and ensure that work is matched precisely to pupils’ needs.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

55. Teachers provide good opportunities for the application of literacy skills in other subjects. For example, in a religious education lesson in Years 1 and 2, the pupils had an opportunity to develop their speaking and listening skills, by asking the headteacher specific questions about his work as a leader. ICT is used well to consolidate and to extend learning. When one Year 2 pupil was asked Greenfield Primary School 18 where she could find information about a weir, she suggested that she could use the Internet. In science, pupils in Years 3 and 4 have written instructions on how to make cakes. Similarly, in Year 6, the pupils use their developing literacy skills to research and to record how life changed during the Victorian era.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in mathematics because of good teaching. • Lessons are well planned to ensure all are challenged well. • The recently appointed co-ordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and leads well by example.

p.23

Commentary

56. Throughout the school, pupils achieve well in mathematics because of teaching that is consistently good. An analysis of pupils’ completed work shows that standards are above expectations and that they make good progress. All areas are covered, and tasks are varied to suit individuals’ capabilities. Marking is thorough and supportive – this leads to a useful and productive dialogue between teacher and pupil in some cases, as pupils explain which areas they have found difficult. Pupils’ learning is further enhanced by the use of realistic but challenging targets that are referred to and checked regularly. Lessons are carefully planned so as to challenge all in the class at the right level. This is reinforced during lessons by teachers’ skilful questioning to check understanding or to challenge pupils further. Teachers make good use of questions like, ‘How did you do that?’ to promote pupils’ abilities to think clearly and explain their thinking, which coincidentally

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Commentary

promotes pupils’ general speaking skills too. Lessons move quickly, making sure that pupils learn well and achieve well. In the very best lessons, tasks really challenge pupils to think hard about the task in hand and this deepens their understanding and ability to apply their existing knowledge.

p.23

Commentary

57. The co-ordinator was appointed to that post only last September. She is highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and has already started to innovate and improve provision. She leads by example: the work of her class shows high standards of challenge and her own teaching is very effective. She is available to advise colleagues informally, although she has not yet had the opportunity to rigorously monitor the work in the subject throughout the school.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

58. Teachers take opportunities to reinforce mathematics in other subjects, notably science, in which, for example, pupils construct graphs and carry out calculations.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching leads to above average standards. • Investigative work is promoted very well. • Pupils’ are enthusiastic and keen to learn. • Teachers’ high expectations promote learning well. • The subject is led and managed well by the recently appointed co-ordinator. Greenfield Primary School 19

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Commentary

59. Pupils throughout the school attain standards above national expectations. They enjoy lessons and achieve these high standards because of the practical nature of their learning and the good quality teaching. By Year 6, they have an extensive knowledge of life processes. Work is well presented, colour coded and evaluated. All pupils are given challenging activities and can present their findings in line graphs. Year 2 pupils tested five types of material to investigate how much liquid was needed to answer the question: ‘are your materials waterproof?’

p.24

Commentary

60. Literacy skills are used well to help pupils draw conclusions. For example, ‘I learnt that the magnetism ran through the nail.’ Pupils understand that scientific ideas are based on evidence. With good planning and effective questioning, teachers make sure that practical work is enjoyable and fun. Teachers’ high expectations promote learning well and a lively discussion on ‘How can you make things move faster?’ encouraged the pupils to think for themselves and agree that air can move things. To discover what other things need air to move, they used the computer to search the Internet.

p.24

Commentary

61. The subject is led and managed well. The co-ordinator monitors teaching, planning and pupils’ books. Detailed analyses of test results identify weaknesses. As a result, teaching strategies are improved and provision developed.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well, and enjoy ICT. • The school is well resourced for the subject. • There are exciting plans to use ICT to expand pupils’ understanding beyond the classroom. • ICT supports other subjects effectively.

p.24

Commentary

62. Provision in ICT is rapidly improving and pupils are making better progress as a result. Standards observed in lessons and in completed work in folders or on display are in line with the expectations of the National Curriculum, but this represents good achievement based on pupils’ past attainment. Pupils are comfortable with the technology and enjoy using it to improve their presentation of work, or to practise aspects of, for example, mathematics. They confidently use the computer-linked whiteboards in classrooms and the suite to quickly check their understanding. The school is well resourced: each classroom has at least two computers and there is a suite with a good number of computers in it. These are supplemented by laptop computers as necessary. Some classrooms have computer-linked whiteboards. All of these resources are well used to teach the skills of ICT and also to support learning in general. For example, computer-linked whiteboards

p.24

Commentary

are used in small group support for pupils with special educational needs as well as for whole class teaching.

p.24

Commentary

63. The school already has some links, via e-mail, with other schools in Spain. Plans are well advanced for these to be enhanced to include video-conferencing and shared lessons. Greenfield Primary School 20

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

64. The ready availability of computers in classrooms means that pupils have easy access to practise work or to research new work. As a result, pupils are confident users of a variety of software packages to support learning. In lessons seen, infant pupils used the computers to draw a setting for a story as discussed in an earlier English lesson. Pupils in Years 6 produced charts of their findings from questionnaires and produced advertisements for Easter Eggs as part of a local Trading Standards Agency competition.

p.25

HUMANITIES

Geography and history were sampled. Only one history lesson was observed, in which the Year 6 pupils looked at changes that have taken place since the fifties. In this effective lesson, there was good emphasis on historical enquiry and on where information can be found to enable the pupils to learn about the past.

p.25

Religious education

Provision in religious education is good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils reach the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Year 2 and achieve well. In Year 6, the pupils exceed the expectations of both strands of the syllabus, achieving very well in the subject. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • The pupils have good understanding of the effect that religion has on people’s lives. • The subject is well led and makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.25

Commentary

65. The school has made good improvements since the previous inspection, which judged standards to be average in religious education. Pupils in Year 2 now achieve well and reach the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Their topic books indicate that in Years 1 and 2, they understand some of the basic religious elements of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. A sense of wonder pervades these pupils’ work. One of them joyfully recorded that his favourite celebration is the birth of babies, ‘because my mum is having a baby’. These young pupils know and understand that there are close links with the effect of religion on people’s lives.

p.25

Commentary

66. Through a very well planned lesson, the teacher led the pupils to consider which qualities are needed for a good leader. They quoted that Jesus was a good leader, and named other national figures such as the prime minister of India. The pupils invited the headteacher for an interview and posed some thoughtful questions about his work, as part of this enquiry. He treated their questions with respect and, by his example, he helped them to appreciate that leaders make decisions which affect other people’s lives as well as their own.

p.25

Commentary

67. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 achieve very well as they exceed the expectations of all aspects of the syllabus. In a discussion with them, the pupils stated that they had discussed many aspects of Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. They identified some religious beliefs and were able to link teachings and practices. They described how religion makes an impact on a person’s life and they were able to express their own feelings and their developing sense of personal values. When asked to explain further, the pupils summarised that religion can guide our lives. One added that those who do not believe also have rules by which they live. Greenfield Primary School 21 68. The good quality of teaching enables the pupils to understand the subject. The very strong focus on discussion enables pupils to reflect on the important issues of life and, in consequence, to

p.25

Commentary

offer some thoughtful contributions. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, because of the quality of teaching, leadership and the subject enrichment. The headteacher manages the subject well and has been developing it with additional resources and initiatives. In consequence, the pupils grow into respectful, mature and thinking individuals, through exchange visits to a predominantly Muslim school, for example. Both gain in understanding and in mutual respect.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

69. No lessons could be observed in art and design, design and technology or music, and singing could only be observed in two assemblies. Based on an analysis of completed work, standards in art and design are above expectations and pupils achieve well. Standards in design and technology are in line with expectations. In art and design, pupils have worked with an artist to design sculptures to go beside the canal and pupils in Year 6 have sketchbooks, which show a range of subjects. Design and technology has been used well across the curriculum, for example, when pupils in Year 6 entered a competition to decide which Easter Egg was best value for money. This project involved investigating the contents, weight, taste and price, and evaluating the cost of packaging. No judgements could be made about standards in music. Pupils are offered music tuition in guitar and ukulele. Singing in assembly is very tuneful and expressive, and the pupils join enthusiastically in

p.26

Physical education

Provision in physical education is satisfactory.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Health and safety rules are well observed. • Sporting activities, run by specialist coaches, are a positive feature of the school’s provision.

p.26

Commentary

70. Standards in physical education are above national expectations in Year 2 and in line with expectations in Year 6. In Year 2 teaching and learning are good so that pupils achieve well. The teacher has good subject knowledge and understanding on how to teach the basic skills. Very good use of pupils’ demonstrations and the teacher’s expertise in coaching ensures good control, co- ordination and safety. Pupils in the juniors attain the standards that are expected nationally and teaching and learning are satisfactory. Pupils are given very good opportunities for sporting activities. Specialist coaches often lead the wide range of clubs. Their expertise is used well to extend pupils’ learning.

p.26

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

71. The school makes good provision for pupils’ personal development through the use of timetabled ‘circle time’ lessons in which pupils have the opportunity to discuss issues of concern to them in a supportive atmosphere. Pupils learn the responsibilities of citizenship through their involvement in the School Council and ECO Team. They know that their views matter to the school. Self-discipline is promoted effectively through the consistent use of the school’s ‘Golden Rules’ and the associated ‘Golden Time’, to which pupils look forward enthusiastically. Greenfield Primary School 22

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 3 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 3

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

p.27