Glenleigh Park Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a well-established, welcoming and inclusive community ethos. This is reflected in the warm, trusting relationships between staff, pupils and parents.

As one parent states, 'Glenleigh Park feels like a family'. These relationships can be seen in all aspects of school life. Consequently, staff support pupils highly effectively in their learning and development.

Pupils are rightly proud of their school and eagerly rise to the high expectations that staff have of them. They cherish the rewards they receive to celebrate their successes. These rewards include 'star of the week', 'pom pom recognition' and 'millionaire reader'.

Pupils know how they sho...uld behave. Pupils are polite and respectful towards staff and their peers. Older pupils have opportunities to 'apply' for job roles across the school, which develops their leadership skills.

These include roles such as 'midday supervisors', 'office helpers' and 'librarians', which pupils take great pride in carrying out.

Staff deeply care about pupils' well-being and provide bespoke support to enable them to thrive. Pupils have access to pastoral care and enjoy their time with the school dog, Maeve.

Staff teach pupils to manage their emotions. Pupils become self-assured and confident individuals as they progress through school. Pupils receive regular praise and encouragement.

This helps them to feel happy, confident and safe.

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

Staff are resolute in ensuring that all pupils achieve their fullest potential. There are high ambitions for all pupils to achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The expertly planned curriculum is well constructed and takes into account what pupils should learn right from the early years. Important knowledge and skills have been carefully identified and broken down into small steps of learning. This helps pupils to access the intended learning and achieve well.

The school ensures that any additional needs that pupils may have are identified as early as possible. Pupils are then quickly supported to avoid any wasted opportunities in their learning.

Currently, leaders recognise that, in some subjects that have more recently been developed, teaching is not yet consistently helping pupils to achieve as highly.

Some activities in lessons do not always enable pupils to learn the identified content as well as they could. This means that pupils can sometimes find it more difficult to link and apply their knowledge. School and trust leaders are working together and investing time in developing the knowledge and skills of staff.

This is already helping to improve the consistency in how well pupils are taught the well-considered curriculum.Reading is prioritised across the school. Pupils' progress and ability to read are checked regularly and systematically.

There is a passion for reading across the school held by staff and pupils. This is achieved through daily supported reading sessions and regular story time in class. Pupils immerse themselves in high-quality books readily available in the school fiction and non-fiction libraries.

Pupils talk fondly about their favourite books, which they keenly read.

Pupils from Reception onwards follow the school's phonics programme daily. In Nursery, children use rhymes and songs and begin to identify important sounds.

They are encouraged to enjoy stories and books. In Reception, teachers check pupils' phonics knowledge carefully. They use this information to provide extra support for those pupils who may need it.

Pupils receive rewards for their regular reading practice, which they greatly value. Different texts are identified to help pupils develop their understanding of the world around them and to support their learning in different subjects.

Pupils talk about their learning confidently and are engaged in lessons.

Positive behaviours exist across the school, and pupils are ready to learn and try their best. Children in early years mostly maintain concentration and engagement. They work well in small groups, where staff help to support children, including those with more complex SEND.

The school is focused on ensuring that pupils' regular attendance at school is a priority. Staff use different strategies to engage the wider school community to support high attendance. These are available to pupils and their families when needed.

As a result, the attendance of pupils is improving, but there continues to be a minority of pupils who are absent too often. These pupils miss vital learning, which may result in them not achieving as well as they could.

Pupils develop a secure understanding of diversity through a well-planned personal development curriculum.

They have a strong awareness of the importance of equality and hold respectful attitudes towards their peers. They show high levels of acceptance towards different cultures. Pupils understand difficult concepts such as stereotyping and prejudicial beliefs.

They can challenge opinions and views comfortably. Pupils recognise their role in creating a friendly community and are happy to belong to their school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The full implementation of the curriculum in some areas is not yet fully consistent. Some teachers do not always design tasks that deepen pupils' knowledge and learning over time. The school should continue to carefully monitor the impact of its curriculum improvements to ensure that pupils' long-term knowledge is secure across all areas, including in the early years.