Greenfield Primary School

Greenfield Primary School Inspection report

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105667 Unique Reference Number Oldham Local Authority 308914 Inspection number 15 °16 April 2008 Inspection dates Bernard Jones Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 134 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Sarah Brierley Chair Mr M Wood Headteacher 8 March 2004 Date of previous school inspection Shaw Street School address Greenfield Oldham Lancashire OL3 7AA 01457 872831 Telephone number 01457 871980 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 15 °16 April 2008 Inspection dates 308914 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Greenfield is a smaller than average primary school. It serves the local village and has an intake of pupils coming from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. The large majority of pupils come from White British backgrounds. The percentage of pupils claiming an entitlement to a free school meal is below average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is much higher than average. The school has attained Healthy Schools Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Greenfield Primary School, 15 °16 April 2008

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Grade: 2

Greenfield is a good school and gives good value for money. Pupils flourish and gain greatly in their personal development. They are happy to come to school and feel safe and secure. Strong values of mutual respect underpin the school's work and lead to pupils developing excellent attitudes and they take on responsibility well. Pupils have a mature and friendly approach to visitors. Appropriate checks are made on adults who work in the school, and good care is taken of pupils. Achievement is good and pupils reach standards that are above average by the end of Year 6. They achieve particularly well in English because the school has improved writing skills. They also achieve very well in information and communication technology (ICT) because this in an area where the school has given emphasis in its approach to providing an interesting and innovative curriculum. The overall quality of teaching is good. Some teaching is excellent, but the school has not

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Grade: 2

identified, capitalized on and spread this outstanding practice to improve achievement further. Teachers' planning is good; lessons are structured well and ensure that the differing needs of pupils are met, including those with learning difficulties. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and behaviour is excellent. Pupils work hard in class and share their learning with each other very effectively. Teachers' overall use of assessment is good, however, the information gathered about pupils' performance is not yet developed sufficiently to keep a check on pupils' long-term progress. The curriculum is good and is extended by a good range of extra-curricular activities. It has some excellent features, including the teaching of Spanish. The curriculum is carefully and comprehensively planned. It fulfils requirements and meets the needs of all pupils. Good provision ensures that pupils make informed choices about healthy lifestyles and by Year 6,

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Grade: 2

they are mature and ready to move on to the next stage in their education. School leadership is good and the headteacher's contribution is excellent in ensuring a clear direction for the school's development, where raising the achievement of all is a central priority. The governors make a positive contribution in all the school's affairs and there are excellent links with parents and the community, who support the school wholeheartedly. An example of the school's good management is the way they responded positively to the issue raised in the last inspection that required development of the subject leaders' roles. They are now well defined and responsibilities are clear. These include checking standards and the quality of teaching in their subjects. The impact has been seen in writing, where staff and governors have been successful in identifying and tackling past underachievement. The school's self-evaluation

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Grade: 2

is sound overall. This and the positive response to the last report reflect good capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

On entry, most children have skills that are expected for their age, and make good progress. Children benefit from sharing their day with older pupils in Year 1. They make accelerated progress in developing their language skills and this helps them to communicate effectively with other children and adults. Classroom routines are taught well, which aids children's personal development which is reflected in their excellent behaviour. Children achieve well because they receive good quality and well-planned teaching across all six areas of learning. The teaching 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Greenfield Primary School, 15 °16 April 2008 ensures that children gain a great deal from first-hand experience and structured play, both inside and outside the classroom. For example, children acted out a day at the airport. Among a richness of exciting activities, they 'packed suitcases' for their holiday with photographs of

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Grade: 2

clothes, read exciting brochures and counted their money. This increased their knowledge and understanding of the world as well as improving their literacy and mathematical skills. Systems to assess and record their progress are good.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that the best teaching practices are spread throughout the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make better use of data about pupils' performance to check their long-term progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress as they move through Key Stage 1 and 2. Consequently, by the time pupils leave Year 6 they reach standards that are above average in English, mathematics and science. In the 2007 national tests, standards in Year 6 were above average as a result of this good progress. Pupils were particularly successful in English because the school identified and tackled effectively a weakness in writing. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make similarly good progress, which reflects the good teaching they receive and the great care that is taken to meet their individual needs. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to the quality of their learning and to their achievement.

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Grade: 1

Pupils show excellent personal and social skills in lessons and when out on the playground. They enjoy coming to school and attendance is above average. Relationships are excellent and are helped by pupils of different age groups being in the same classes. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive; commenting, 'the juniors seem to look after the younger children and genuinely seem to care about them'. Pupils say bullying and racism do not occur, but they know what to do should these happen and they feel very safe and secure. Pupils are very proud of their school council and feel that it makes a positive contribution. Pupils' understanding of living healthily is outstanding and shown in their choice of diet and their high participation levels in sport. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are excellent. They develop high levels of social responsibility and their concern for others is demonstrated in their

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Grade: 1

successful fundraising. Pupils have an excellent understanding of other cultures and religions, sharing their experiences with a multi-ethnic city school nearby. Behaviour is exemplary because of the clear moral code practiced by all members of the school community. Pupils acquire good levels of basic skills, which prepare them well for the next stage in their schooling.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good overall and leads to pupils making good progress, acquiring very positive attitudes to learning and enjoying their time in school. Some teaching is outstanding and here pupils learn at a rapid pace and make excellent progress. Teachers use different teaching styles and allow pupils a good deal of independence. Classrooms across the age range often buzz 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Greenfield Primary School, 15 °16 April 2008 with excitement as pairs or small groups of pupils discuss their work, exchange ideas or report their findings. This is not found, however, in all lessons. Although teachers' questioning is generally good, in some lessons opportunities are missed to promote speaking and listening skills. Learning objectives are set each lesson and the sharing of these helps pupils to focus on what they are expected to learn. Teachers plan well with their teaching assistants in order to

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Grade: 2

meet the needs of pupils with learning difficulties. Higher ability pupils are also challenged and as a result, make good progress. A growing strength is the way teachers gather data about the progress pupils make to inform realistic and challenging targets that are set in English and mathematics. Teachers use homework effectively. Marking is undertaken conscientiously. It is positive and encouraging and in the best practice informs pupils how they can improve further.

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Grade: 2

The good curriculum is creative and inclusive, providing enjoyment through its variety. Appropriate emphasis is given to all subjects. Skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT are used to good effect to support and extend work in other subjects. The school has been innovative in its teaching of ICT and makes excellent use of videoconferencing. Additional breadth is added by teaching Spanish. Pupils enjoy their introduction to a foreign language and develop their skills well. The curriculum provides well for all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and those with special talents. Good use is made of visits, visitors and residential trips to widen pupils' horizons. These promote good learning and outstanding personal development. Before and after-school clubs benefit pupils of all ages and help them to develop healthy and varied lifestyles.

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Grade: 2

Pastoral care is excellent and is greatly appreciated by parents. They say that their children want to come to school and feel part of an extended family. Those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are provided with high levels of care, ably helped by teaching assistants and outside agencies. Teachers are well trained in child protection issues. Risk assessments are thorough and up to date and the health and safety of children is high on the school's agenda. Academic guidance is not as strong. Teachers know their pupils very well and use this to track their progress in reading, writing and mathematics and guide them appropriately. However, the school has not yet fully developed its use of data about pupils' performance to chart and check their achievement over the longer period.

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Grade: 2

Leadership is good and teamwork is excellent as a result. The headteacher shows outstanding qualities in giving a clear lead to the development of the school and ensuring that high morale has been maintained through a recent period of some significant changes in staffing. The roles of teachers with responsibilities are clear and well developed. Supportive and challenging governors make a good contribution to the leadership of the school. The result is an inclusive school where there is an insistence on strong values. Planning for school improvement is good. Areas requiring improvement are carefully identified and tackled effectively. An example of this is seen in the recent improvement in writing, which has led to significant improvement in 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Greenfield Primary School, 15 °16 April 2008 English and other subjects across the curriculum. This demonstrates the schools good capacity

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Grade: 2

to improve further. Self-evaluation is mainly sound. However, the school judges some of its work too favourably, for example, the achievement of pupils, some aspects of leadership and the guidance given to pupils. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Greenfield Primary School, 15 °16 April 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Greenfield Primary School, 15 °16 April 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Greenfield Primary School, 15 °16 April 2008

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Greenfield Primary School, 15 °16 April 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you all for your welcome when I visited your school. Please thank your parents and carers for all their letters and for taking the time to talk to me. I judge your school to be good and some things that the school offers you are outstanding. I enjoyed coming to your lessons, talking to you and reading your work. I also enjoyed your singing and the enthusiasm you show for living and eating healthily. Most of all I enjoyed the way you were all so helpful and friendly. I was very impressed by the way you look after yourselves, each other and your school. You are taught to be proud of your school and you make it attractive by helping to produce very good displays in your classrooms and corridors. I was also impressed by the way you take responsibility, for example, in your contribution to the work of the school council and the way play leaders help younger children during playtimes and lunchtimes. Your behaviour is excellent,

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

both in classrooms and out and around school. You say you like your teachers and the way they take good care of you and teach you to be safe and healthy. I appreciate how well your school helps you to develop into mature young people, who get on well with each other and consider other people. It is usual after an inspection to ask schools to improve some things. To make things even better, I have asked that all teachers are encouraged to find the very best ways to help you make the progress of which you are capable. I also would like your teachers to use the information they have about your work to check your progress more carefully. I wish you all well in the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Greenfield Primary School, 15 °16 April 2008

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