Greenacres Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel safe at Greenacres Primary School.

They try hard to live up to the new school motto, 'Be ready, be respectful, be safe'. Pupils enjoy coming to school. However, some pupils do not attend as regularly as they should.

This means that they miss valuable learning, which impacts on their achievement.

The school has experienced a difficult time in recent years. Leaders have now planned an ambitious curriculum, and ensure that reading is well taught.

However, expectations for how well pupils achieve and behave in their lessons are not consistently high enough. There are some pupils whose attitudes towards learning disturb others an...d stop them from learning. The new behaviour policy is helping teachers to deal with this more successfully.

Leaders make sure that pupils go on trips and visits to broaden their interests. For example, pupils visit Cadbury World, which is linked to their learning on South America. Children enjoy attending the clubs and the range of sports activities on offer.

Pupils play well together at social times. Incidents of bullying are now rare. Pupils are confident that staff will resolve any concerns or worries that they have.

Parents and carers are positive about recent improvements to education provision at the school.

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

Leaders have carefully planned the school curriculum so that it builds on what pupils know and can do. Staff know what to teach in all subjects.

However, practice across the school is variable. This is because leaders have not ensured that all staff have the subject knowledge they need in order to teach effectively. For example, leaders have not provided staff with the training that they need to teach fluency in mathematics well.

This impacts on pupils' ability to recall important facts needed to solve mathematical problems. Some pupils' progress is also hampered by low levels of attendance. Teachers make checks on pupils' learning during lessons and over time.

However, they do not always spot and address misconceptions quickly enough. This means that sometimes, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

Recent improvements to the phonics curriculum mean that leaders now prioritise reading.

Books match the sounds that most pupils are learning. The reading curriculum is carefully planned. Staff have received training on how to teach pupils to read.

These changes are beginning to improve pupils' achievement in reading, particularly in early years.

Children in early years settle quickly into school life. Staff have high expectations of children and help them to achieve well.

Staff model language and communication skills effectively. Leaders know what children should learn and when. They build on children's current knowledge, and broaden their learning.

Learning activities are carefully planned and well matched to children's needs.

Pupils requiring additional help are now identified swiftly due to recent improvements in leadership. Leaders make sure that pupils can access the resources and support they need to help them to focus on their learning.

As a result, most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are able to learn effectively alongside their peers.

A broad range of activities supports pupils' personal development. The school rules help pupils to understand right and wrong and how to keep themselves and other pupils safe.

Pupils learn about healthy, safe relationships. They know that there are trusted adults in school whom they can talk to if they have worries or concerns. Pupils learn about healthy lifestyles.

The 'Brilliant Brushes' programme helps younger pupils learn how to clean their teeth. In doing so, they learn about the importance of good oral hygiene. Pupils' knowledge and understanding of different faiths and religions are limited and, at times, confused.

This means that pupils do not have a clear understanding of different cultures. This sometimes impacts on their ability to recognise and respect differences in others.

Governors and senior members of the trust have worked hard to manage the large number of changes in staff and to maintain staff morale through the turbulence of recent years.

The recently appointed headteacher has provided much-needed stability to the school. Leaders know the school's strengths and priorities for improvement. However, leaders do not know how well the curriculum supports pupils' learning.

This is because they have not established ways of checking on what is happening in lessons. Staff say that leaders are considerate and supportive of staff workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that staff know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil's welfare. They are aware of specific areas of concern, such as protecting pupils from child-on-child abuse, radicalisation and exploitation. Leaders seek the right support for vulnerable pupils.

This includes support from external agencies when necessary.

Leaders ensure that appropriate checks on staff are undertaken before they are appointed.

Pupils regularly learn about how keep safe when online and when out and about in the community.

Pupils know how to raise concerns with trusted adults in school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A number of pupils do not attend school regularly. This means that they miss out on their learning and do not achieve as well as they could.

Leaders need to work with parents in order to help parents understand the impact of non-attendance on how well pupils achieve at school, so that attendance for these pupils improves. ? Low-level disruption is not uncommon across the school. This is often the result of low expectations from adults, combined with some pupils who have not yet developed positive attitudes to learning.

Leaders should help pupils develop better attitudes towards learning and ensure that the misbehaviour of some pupils does not disrupt the learning of others. They should also ensure that adults manage pupils' behaviour consistently well. ? Teachers do not have the subject knowledge they need to teach all subjects well enough.

This means that expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough and misconceptions are not always addressed. Pupils do not make the progress they should. Leaders should support subject leaders to ensure that staff have the subject knowledge they need in order to teach effectively.

• Pupils' knowledge and understanding of different faiths and religions are limited and at times confused. This means that pupils do not develop a clear understanding of different cultures. Leaders should ensure that staff have the knowledge and resources they need to teach pupils to recognise and respect a wide range of cultural influences.

• Middle leaders do not fully understand their roles in checking on the impact of the curriculum in the subjects that they lead. Senior leaders do not know whether the curriculum is effective in helping pupils to know and remember more. Senior leaders should support middle leaders to fully understand their roles and what is expected of them.