Grange Community Nursery and Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, help to ensure that Grange Primary school is a harmonious place to learn. There is a strong ethos of mutual respect between staff and pupils.

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and what they can achieve academically. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders make sure that pupils' well-being and the quality of the curriculum are their most important priorities.

Most pupils are keen to learn and they achieve well across a range of subjects.

Pupils feel safe in school and they behave well. They show kindness and respect to one another.

P...upils know that adults will help them if they have any worries or concerns. If bullying occurs, leaders deal with these incidents swiftly and effectively.

Pupils value the many opportunities that they have beyond the academic curriculum.

For instance, they access a varied range of clubs that take place after school and other trips.

Pupils are eager to contribute to the decisions made by leaders through their roles as school councillors, eco-warriors and play leaders. Pupils develop into active citizens who enjoy helping others and raising money for charitable causes.

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

Trustees, leaders and staff want pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve to their very best. They have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum which meets the needs of pupils, including children in the early years. Across subjects, leaders have identified the most important knowledge that they want pupils to learn.

This knowledge is carefully ordered so that new ideas build on pupils' previous learning. Within subjects, leaders are clear about the vocabulary that they want pupils to learn as they move through the school.

Many subject leaders provide valuable guidance and support for teachers in how to deliver the curriculum.

In lessons, teachers' secure subject knowledge ensures that they present new learning clearly to pupils. Staff make checks to ensure that pupils have understood prior learning before introducing new concepts. For the most part, pupils can build securely on what they know already.

However, in a small number of subjects, some teachers do not ensure that pupils have sufficient opportunities to recap and recall earlier learning.

Pupils are eager to learn and they listen well in class. Poor behaviour rarely disrupts learning.

However, some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. These pupils miss out on important learning and this hinders their learning of the intended curriculum.

Leaders place a high priority on the teaching of reading.

Pupils' love of reading and staff's skilfull delivery of the new phonics scheme are helping more pupils to become confident and fluent readers. Leaders have ensured that pupils and children are exposed to a broad range of high-quality texts.

Pupils, including children in the early years, benefit from a well-organised phonics curriculum.

Pupils, including those with SEND, read books that are matched closely to the sounds and words that they know. Those pupils who fall behind in reading receive appropriate support to help them to catch up. Older pupils are keen readers.

They talked confidently about their favourite authors and the different types of books that they like to read.

Pupils with SEND, including in the early years, have their needs met promptly by staff. Teachers adapt subject curriculums appropriately to make sure that these pupils access the same learning as their friends.

Leaders work closely with outside agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND benefit from suitable support. Pupils with SEND take part in all that the school has to offer.

Leaders have prioritised pupils' wider development.

For example, all pupils in key stages 1 and 2 have the opportunity to go on a residential visit. Older pupils talked fondly about a recent trip to London where they visited many famous landmarks. Pupils recognise the need to look after the planet for future generations.

They learn about different cultures that live within our diverse society. Pupils recognise the need to eat a balanced diet and take regular exercise to keep their bodies healthy.

Governors and trustees provide effective levels of challenge and support.

Representatives of the multi-academy trust provide extensive support in the form of training and the sharing of expertise with staff.

Staff morale is high and they work well as a team. Those teachers new to the profession are supported well by their experienced colleagues.

Staff appreciate all that leaders do to ensure that they have an acceptable workload and work-life balance. Most parents and carers hold the school in high regard and would happily recommend it to others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There are stringent procedures in place to ensure that safeguarding is everyone's priority. Well-trained staff know what to do if they have any safeguarding concerns. They have a secure understanding of the potential safeguarding risks in the local community.

Leaders ensure that those families facing challenging circumstances receive the help and support that they need.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in different situations, such as when online. They also recognise the qualities that make a good friend.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are a number of pupils who do not come to school on a regular basis. This means that these pupils miss out on important learning, and this prevents them from achieving as well as they should. Leaders should continue their work to support pupils and their families so that these pupils attend school regularly.

• In a small number of subjects, some teachers do not ensure that pupils have sufficient opportunities to recap and recall earlier learning. This means that some pupils are less confident in recalling learning from previous years. Leaders should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers afford pupils sufficient opportunities to recap and recall important earlier learning.