Grateley Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Grateley Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this small village school. They value the inclusive family atmosphere. Pupils say that everyone is made to feel welcome.

Pupils feel safe because they know that staff really care. Teachers are ambitious for all pupils to achieve their very best. Pupils love to learn and work hard.

They are keen to meet the high expectations adults have of them.

Strong relationships exist across the school community. Year 6 'buddies' love their Friday afternoons helping children in Reception.

Adults and pupils show kindness and respect to one another. Pupils play ...well together at playtimes. They encourage one another to join in with games and are quick to help when someone is hurt.

Pupils value the friendliness of the school. They are keen to ensure that everyone is included.

Pupils relish opportunities to take on responsibility.

They enjoy making a difference to their school, local community and the wider world. The eco council proudly act on suggestions from their peers, most recently to support a tiger conservation project. Furthermore, pupils across the school learn the importance of giving back to society through raising money for various causes.

This includes to raise funds for their own end of Year 6 celebration.

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

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to learn a wide range of subjects and achieve well. Leaders have designed a broad and interesting curriculum.

In most subjects, leaders have identified the important skills and knowledge they want pupils to learn right from the start of Reception to the end of Year 6. In these subjects, the curriculum content builds in a clear sequence over time. This supports pupils to develop a rich body of knowledge which prepares them well for future learning.

However, a minority of subjects are at an earlier stage of development. In these subjects, leaders have not considered the key knowledge that pupils need to learn in full. Where this is the case, the content that teachers must teach is not identified precisely enough to ensure that pupils develop deep understanding.

Pupils develop gaps in their knowledge and struggle to remember their learning securely. In these subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

In most subjects, teachers have good subject knowledge.

In lessons, teachers expertly plan tasks that enable all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to learn well. Leaders have clear processes to identify any specific barriers to learning that pupils with SEND may face. Leaders and teachers work well together to adapt lessons so that all pupils can access the curriculum.

Teachers routinely check the understanding of all pupils. Any gaps in knowledge are addressed before introducing new ideas. However, where the curriculum content is not yet identified precisely enough, teachers are not always able to address pupils' misconceptions as effectively.

Leaders prioritise reading. They want all pupils to learn to read with fluency and comprehension as swiftly as possible. Pupils learn to read right from the start of Reception using a well-sequenced phonics programme.

Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. This helps them to practise reading with confidence. Teachers quickly identify pupils who are struggling to learn to read.

Effective support helps these pupils to catch up quickly.

Pupils behave well in lessons. They are focused and keen to learn.

Pupils understand the school rules of 'ready, respectful, safe'. Low-level disruption rarely interrupts learning. Leaders have established strong routines across the school.

All pupils adhere to these automatically, creating a calm and purposeful learning environment.

The school's provision for pupils' wider development is well considered. Pupils have a strong understanding of inclusion, equalities and diversity.

Leaders ensure that pupils understand the importance of keeping physically and mentally fit. Pupils enjoy taking part in local sports competitions and children in Reception love their regular 'welly walks' to the local field. Visits, such as to local museums, and visitors to school enhance the curriculum.

Pupils have many deliberately planned opportunities to develop their talents and interests, particularly in science, design and technology and music.

Leaders and governors are determined to provide a high-quality education for all. Governors take their role very seriously.

They routinely challenge leaders, asking in-depth questions about the school's work. Leaders ensure that teachers can concentrate on tasks that make a difference to pupils' learning. All staff are proud to work at the school.

They agree that leaders support them well to do their very best for the pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a strong culture of vigilance.

All staff understand the signs that indicate a pupil could be at risk of harm. Leaders' record-keeping is clear and comprehensive. They act quickly and work well with external agencies to get pupils and families the help that they need.

Leaders make all appropriate checks to ensure that staff are safe to work in school. Governors monitor leaders' work to safeguard pupils regularly.

Pupils have age-appropriate knowledge about healthy relationships and how to stay safe online.

They understand how to manage the risks to their safety in the local community.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders have not identified the knowledge that pupils need to learn and the sequence of learning precisely enough. This means that teachers do not always know what they need to teach and when they need to teach it.

In these subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders need to continue to strengthen and refine the curriculum so that the content pupils need to learn is clear and well sequenced in all subjects.

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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

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

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2018.

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