Grindleton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy belonging to this happy school community where everyone knows each other well.

Pupils are welcoming, polite and respectful. They feel safe and enjoy learning how to stay safe. For example, pupils take part in first-aid training and road safety lessons with enthusiasm.

Pupils know that teachers expect them to work hard. Pupils' attitudes to learning are highly positive. This can be seen in the work that they produce.

Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils know what is expected of them and rise to these high ...standards.

They walk sensibly around the building and settle to their work quickly. Pupils play well together on the playground. They share the fitness equipment and join in activities cooperatively.

Leaders make sure that any rare incidents of bullying are dealt with effectively.

Pupils benefit from the wide range of enrichment opportunities on offer. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 enjoy activities such as residential visits and rugby competitions.

They sing at the local care home, plant trees in the nearby woods and learn to play the ukulele. This helps pupils to develop their talents and interests.

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

Leaders and staff have worked closely together to develop the curriculum, including in the early years.

Across a range of subjects, the curriculum content is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. Leaders make sure that the curriculum brings pupils' learning to life. For example, they provide opportunities for pupils to collaborate with artists, authors and choirmasters.

In most subjects, leaders have carefully set out the essential knowledge that they expect pupils to learn and the order in which this content should be taught. Leaders make sure that teachers have the subject knowledge that they need to deliver these subjects well. Teachers explain new learning clearly, using subject-specific vocabulary.

They provide opportunities for pupils to build on what they have learned in previous lessons.

In the main, teachers use assessment strategies effectively to check pupils' understanding. This helps to identify gaps in pupils' learning and to spot any misconceptions.

Staff skilfully help pupils to understand those aspects of the curriculum that they find difficult. This helps pupils to become successful learners.

In a small number of subjects, the changes that leaders have made to improve their curriculums are more recent.

While leaders ensure that teachers have the guidance that they need to deliver these curriculums, teachers have had insufficient opportunity to develop staff's subject knowledge. This means that in a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not delivered as effectively as it is in others. Pupils' knowledge is uneven as a result.

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. They provide staff with the training and support that they need to deliver the phonics programme consistently well. Teachers ensure that pupils practise reading using books that are well matched to the sounds that they are learning.

Leaders check on pupils' progress through the phonics programme closely. They put in place individual support sessions for pupils who join the school part-way through the year. This helps these pupils to catch up with their reading.

Leaders also make sure that pupils who find learning to read tricky receive well-tailored support so that they keep up with the reading programme.

Staff across the school promote a love of reading. Older pupils talked enthusiastically about being part of a local reading club.

This allows them to meet, discuss and share views about their reading.

Leaders have put efficient systems in place to help teachers to identify pupils with SEND early. Staff make sure that the support for these pupils is closely matched to their individual learning needs.

This helps to ensure that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum and learn effectively. Pupils with SEND who need additional help to manage their behaviour receive effective support. This means that lessons are not disrupted and that staff can focus on supporting pupils to learn.

Leaders prioritise pupils' wider development. For example, pupils take part in a range of outdoor education activities. These help to make them more independent and capable of solving problems.

Pupils think of others. They take part in a range of charity work, such as collecting for a local food bank. Pupils know the importance of the fundamental British values.

However, leaders have given insufficient thought to how the curriculum can support pupils to learn about diversity. As a result, pupils do not understand or appreciate cultural and religious differences well enough.

Leaders, governors, and staff form a united team.

Governors and leaders know what is going well. They work effectively to continually improve the quality of education for pupils. Staff reported that governors and leaders consider their workload and well-being when making decisions about the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff are vigilant in spotting any signs that pupils may be at risk of potential harm. All staff receive up-to-date safeguarding training.

This helps them to identify vulnerable pupils.

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe and healthy. This includes how to stay safe online.

Leaders' arrangements for pre-employment checks on new staff occasionally lack rigour. That said, any administrative lapses are easy to put right. They do not leave pupils vulnerable to harm.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, leaders have not developed staff's subject expertise sufficiently well. Pupils' learning is uneven in these subjects as a result. Subject leaders should provide staff with the support that they need to deliver the curriculum equally well in all subjects.

• Leaders do not promote diversity effectively enough. As a result, some pupils do not understand and appreciate differences between people in their community and the wider world sufficiently well. Leaders should ensure that pupils are taught about tolerance and respect for other cultures and religions.

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