Glenfrome Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Glenfrome Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this vibrant school, which sits at the heart of its community.

They know that they are safe, and that staff consider their needs. Pupils were very happy to return to school following the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. They are eager to renew acquaintances with staff, as well as participate in the range of outdoor pursuits on offer.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the work of the leadership team and staff. They appreciated the clear communication that they received during the national lockdowns and the way that leaders... invited many pupils into the school to continue their learning.

Everyone has high expectations and relationships are positive.

As a result, pupils behave exceptionally well. Learning takes place without disruption because the school is calm and orderly. There is a kind and respectful culture.

If there are any instances of bullying, staff deal with these in a sensitive way.

The school opens onto six acres of green space, which staff maximise for both sport and learning. Pupils from 18 nationalities work together in harmony, celebrating each other's cultures and faiths.

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

The headteacher has maintained standards since the last full inspection. Leaders have looked carefully at the curriculum to make sure that it provides pupils with a breadth and depth of knowledge. In English, mathematics, science and personal, social, health and economic education, pupils learn knowledge in the right order.

This helps pupils to know and remember more over time. In other subjects, leaders and staff have been delayed in planning the curriculum due to COVID-19. This means that some subjects, such as history, geography and art, are not organised as well.

Leaders are taking action to make learning more relevant and accessible where this is the case.

Reading continues to be a strength. Children in Reception received phonics teaching throughout the national lockdowns.

Consequently, most children are ready to start Year 1 as they can write sentences and spell simple words. Teachers support pupils who struggle to read adeptly. For some pupils in key stage 2, there has been less oversight of their reading.

Leaders are aware of this and have plans in place to address this in the autumn term.

The mathematics leader has trained staff in key stages 1 and 2 well in the teaching of mathematics. Pupils use a range of strategies to help them in their calculations.

They enjoy mathematics and most pupils are successful. However, the mathematics leader has not paid the same attention to mathematics in Reception. Despite this, children can count to 20 and do practical activities with numbers.

Apart from English and reading, curriculum leaders do not have a secure understanding of what is taught in early years and how this links to Year 1 onwards.

Due to the pandemic, pupils were not able to take part in the usual enrichment activities. However, leaders have swiftly addressed this.

Every pupil is involved in forest school, which revisits ideas learned in the curriculum. For example, Year 4 pupils were observed learning practical Stone-Age skills, which links to what they have learned in history. Pupils play chess regularly at school and, as a result, engage family members in chess at home.

The most able pupils in Year 6 write assignments, marked by university professionals, on topics such as democracy. This develops their understanding of the world, as well as deepening their appreciation of British values.

Skilful staff, trained well by the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), support disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to learn successfully alongside their peers.

On occasion, pupils with highly complex SEND have a bespoke curriculum that helps them to learn well.

The headteacher has an ambitious and engaged workforce. The governing body is aware of the strengths and developmental areas of the school.

They use this knowledge to provide an appropriate balance of support and challenge to leaders. They have added to leadership capacity in the past few years.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The senior administrator oversees recruitment data on staff diligently.

Staff receive regular updates and training on safeguarding issues. They are aware of how to notice and react to any concerns.

They ensure the personal safety and well-being of pupils.

Staff work sensitively with parents and external agencies to monitor and support vulnerable pupils.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some areas of the curriculum, subject leaders have not planned the content and sequencing of the curriculum well enough.

It is not clear what pupils should know and by when. Leaders need to review the curriculum in some subjects to ensure that pupils learn more and remember more over time. ? Subject leaders have concentrated on the curriculum in key stages 1 and 2.

This means that children in Reception do not have the breadth of knowledge they need to prepare them effectively for Year 1. Leaders need to outline clearly what they expect children in Reception to learn so that they are better prepared for what will come next.Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2016.

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