Green Ridge Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this vibrant, happy school. They love the school's extensive range of extra activities, which make an outstanding contribution to their personal development. Pupils make the most of these by taking on leadership roles and joining the many clubs.

Leaders do all they can to fulfil the school's ambition to provide pupils with 'limitless learning and infinite possibilities'. 'Shake up Shakespeare' and 'sleeping under the stars' are just two of the experiences the school offers through its '11B411' programme. Every pupil is encouraged to pursue their interests and find something in which they can shine.

Pupils feel safe and well cared for. They know ...that any concerns or upsets are quickly sorted out. Bullying is rare and never tolerated.

The school's values help pupils to develop a strong moral code. They learn to respect one another and to value diversity. Pupils told inspectors that everyone is encouraged to celebrate their own unique qualities.

As one pupil commented, 'We can choose who we would like to be and that is important.'

Pupils are doing well and are proud to belong to the Green Ridge community. They rise to their teachers' high expectations and behave sensibly and courteously.

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

Leaders have put in place an ambitious curriculum and pupils achieve well across a wide breadth of subjects. Teachers revisit content so that pupils can connect with and build on what they already know. They launch new topics with 'wow' days to engage and spark pupils' interests.

Mathematics is particularly strong and enables pupils to develop a very secure understanding of key concepts and knowledge. Leaders are continuing to refine the curriculum further. In English, they plan to make the vocabulary they wish pupils to learn even more explicit.

In a minority of subjects, such as art and design, leaders know that the curriculum is not quite as effective.

There is a strong culture of reading in the school. Phonics is taught well and most pupils learn to read proficiently.

Staff know if pupils are finding any sounds tricky and make sure that any gaps in learning are quickly sorted out. Pupils enjoy going to the school's beautiful library, which some describe as 'fantastic'. They listen attentively in story times, keen to find out what happens next.

Children in the early years join in enthusiastically with familiar rhymes and songs. Across the school, pupils get to know and enjoy many different high-quality texts. They learn to 'read as a writer' and 'write as a reader'.

In the early years, staff focus on developing children's communication and language skills. This is especially so in the Nursery, where there is some exceptional practice. From their very first days at school, staff forge warm, nurturing relationships with children.

As a result, they settle beautifully and get off to a great start to their time at Green Ridge. Throughout the school, behaviour is positive and classrooms are purposeful environments for learning. Pastoral care is very strong.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are quickly identified by the school. Staff make sure that these pupils receive extra help in class. A small number of pupils with complex needs have been particularly unsettled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some continue to find it difficult to regulate their behaviour and need much support. However, this support is not always tailored precisely enough around their complex needs. Sometimes, leaders have not considered deeply enough pupils' barriers to learning, and how these can trigger behaviour incidents.

Leaders ensure that pupils grow up well prepared for life in modern Britain. They learn about individual liberty, freedom of voice and equality. Through the school parliament elections, pupils gain an understanding of democratic processes.

Pupils also learn about living healthily and staying safe, including when online.

The staff work as a united team and thoroughly enjoy working at the school. They feel valued and appreciate the good professional guidance and training they receive.

Senior leaders are supporting new subject leaders well to develop their roles and oversight of the curriculum. Governance is strong. Trustees and governors share leaders' clarity of vision and high aspirations.

Their structures and processes enable them to provide effective support and challenge.

Leaders and staff do all they can to engage and support parents. This starts when children join the early years.

Staff establish good relationships with families right from the start. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent, typical of many, commented, 'The Green Ridge team is fantastic and they offer so much to every child.'



Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Everyone understands their role in ensuring that pupils are safe. There is a culture of vigilance in the school.

Staff know what to look out for that may indicate any concerns, including any mental health worries. They are confident in following the school's procedures. Leaders are quick to refer on any issues and, when needed, enlist support for families.

They maintain detailed high-quality records of any concerns and the school's response to these. Recruitment processes are managed very well. Recent training has strengthened staff's knowledge of safeguarding with respect to physical intervention.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum for a small number of pupils with complex special educational needs is not always tailored precisely enough to meet their needs. Sometimes, leaders have not identified with enough precision pupils' barriers to learning and how these can trigger behaviour incidents. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum and support for these pupils are tailored more precisely around their needs.

They need to make sure that staff build on recent training and strengthen the support for pupils who find it hard to regulate their behaviour. This should help to prevent behaviour from escalating and to continue to reduce the number of serious incidents and physical interventions. ? The curriculum in a minority of subjects, such as art and design, is not quite as strong as it is in other subjects.

As a result, pupils are not building their knowledge and skills as deeply or achieving as well as in other subjects. Leaders need to embed their work to strengthen the curriculum further so that all subjects are of equally high quality and implemented as effectively. They need to implement their planned staff training and planned support and guidance for new and less experienced subject leaders.

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