Greatfield Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a caring, nurturing and happy school.

Pupils feel safe here. The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve well. Pupils follow the school's vision of 'Learning and thriving together to achieve our dreams'.

Since the last inspection, the school has made some significant changes. It has raised its expectations of pupils' achievement and behaviour. As a result, these expectations are now more consistently realised.

Pupils are a credit to the school. They are friendly and polite. Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to their learning.

Pupils proudly demonstrate the 'Greatfield Park Way' such as 'smart sitting' and 'marvellous manners'.<...br/>
The school provides exciting opportunities for pupils to try new things and learn different skills. For example, pupils try caving and rock climbing on 'I Can Do It' days.

Pupils join clubs such as netball, mindfulness and choir. Older pupils enjoy showcasing their singing talents when they perform at a national arena.The school works closely with families and knows them well.

Pastoral provision is high quality. It has a demonstrable impact on pupils' self-esteem, confidence and behaviour.Most parents are happy with the school.

Several parents comment that staff help their children to thrive.

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

The school provides an ambitious and exciting curriculum. It is well sequenced and identifies the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils must learn.

Reading is prioritised. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. Pupils who find it difficult to read are provided with focused support.

This helps them to catch up and improves their fluency. Pupils regularly practise reading. They enjoy reading for pleasure.

Pupils become absorbed in stories when adults read to them.

In phonics and mathematics, the programme of learning is well established. Over the last year, in order to raise achievement, the school has improved the teaching of wider reading skills and writing.

It has also improved the curriculum in foundation subjects. This is having a positive impact.

Teachers routinely support pupils to recap on previous learning.

This prompts pupils' recall and deepens their understanding. As a result, pupils remember what they have learned. For instance, when recalling their work in geography, pupils can confidently name the continents and describe different types of volcanoes.

However, in a minority of subjects, the improved curriculum is still in the early stages of being implemented. This means some pupils have not learned the content needed for future learning. They have gaps in their knowledge.

Teachers explain and model new learning so that pupils know what to do. For example, children in the early years listen and watch intently as they are carefully shown how to paint and clean their brushes. Children then diligently practise for themselves.

The school regularly checks how well pupils are achieving. It swiftly identifies and supports pupils who need extra help, such as pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND benefit from extra teaching and adaptations to learning, helping them to make good progress through the curriculum.

Staff develop positive relationships with pupils. Pupils respect staff and trust them to take care of them. Pupils say there is always an adult to talk to in school if they have any worries.

Leaders and staff support pupils' behaviour and attitudes well. As a result, pupils listen carefully and eagerly tackle learning activities. Pupils enjoy rewards for their achievements, such as 'hot chocolate Fridays'.

Pupils who find it hard to manage their emotions are provided with targeted support. This enables them to talk about their feelings and regulate their emotions more appropriately.The school's work to improve attendance is starting to have an impact.

However, some pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not attend school regularly enough. As a result, they miss out on their education and the exciting opportunities the school offers. The school supports personal development well.

For example, pupils raise money for charity and donate items to the food bank. Pupils take on positions of responsibility when they join the school council or become 'playground pals'. Year 6 pupils become buddies to children in the early years.

This helps them to settle into school and make new friends. Leaders have worked with determination and enthusiasm to make positive changes to the school. Staff feel well supported and are committed to contributing to school improvement.

As a result, morale is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a minority of subjects, the school is in the early stages of implementing its more ambitious curriculum.

As a result, in these subjects, pupils have gaps in their learning and have not yet secured the deep knowledge the school expects them to. The school must fully embed the new curriculum effectively so pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need for future learning. The school's actions to improve attendance have not yet reduced absence successfully for all pupils.

As a result, the attendance of some pupils, including pupils with SEND, is too low. This means that these pupils miss out on essential learning. The school should further strengthen its work to improve attendance so that all pupils attend highly to benefit from the school's provision.

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