Greenmount Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be 'Greenmountaineers.' They apply the school's CLIMB values of confidence, learning, independence, motivation and belief to their learning and behaviour.

This helps them to become motivated and confident learners. Pupils benefit from a newly-refined, ambitious curriculum. Pupils achieve well.

The school has a clear strategy that supports pupils' good behaviour. Pupils appreciate that adults 'praise loudly and blame softly'. The school celebrates and rewards good behaviour through celebration assemblies and house points.

It uses supportive conversations when behaviour falls short of its high expectations.

This school prides itself... on being 'more than a school' to its families and community. It provides high-quality pastoral support to help pupils with any concerns or worries.

The school warmly welcomes families who are new to the country. For example, by providing resources to remove language barriers for those who speak English as an additional language.

Pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values and protected characteristics is impressive.

They effortlessly make links between these values and their own lives. Pupils have many opportunities to discuss and debate global issues.

A multitude of languages are spoken across the school.

Pupils are respectful and interested in each other's cultures and beliefs. One pupil, reflecting the views of many, said: 'we accept everything and everyone'.

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

The school has carefully designed its curriculum from early years to Year 6.

Staff skilfully consider how to adapt the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and for those who speak English as an additional language. This means all pupils access the broad and balanced curriculum with appropriate support.

The school provides purposeful opportunities to check what pupils have learned and remembered over time.

For example, class 'flash back' boxes contain cards with questions that help pupils to remember their learning from previous years. Pupils enjoy responding to these questions and recalling their prior knowledge. However, in some subjects, checks on pupils' learning do not identify whether their knowledge is secure.

This means that opportunities to identify and address misconceptions and to move pupils' learning on are sometimes missed.

Pupils use their phonics knowledge to read unfamiliar words. The school identifies those pupils who are not keeping up with the phonics programme.

These pupils receive focused support through the school's catch-up programme. Pupils, therefore, are confident readers. The school prioritises instilling a love of reading.

Pupil reading ambassadors help to keep the school's reading areas are tidy and attractive. The school ensures that its reading materials reflect diversity and the multiple ethnicities in its community.Many children join the school with low speech, language and communication skills.

Starting from the early years, the school uses screening tools to identify any children who need extra support. Extra help is then put in place. Provision for pupils with complex SEND is well considered.

The 'explorers' group have a carefully personalised learning programme. Such provision enables teachers to set tasks and learning activities match well to pupils' specific needs.

Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and nurturing.

Pupils understand the importance of maintaining a positive outlook. They show resilience and understand that they learn from their mistakes. Children in the early years benefit from meaningful adult-led activities.

For example, adults skilfully modelled mathematical language when counting lumps of ice in the water tray. However, sometimes adult interaction with children is less effective, particularly when children are choosing their own activities. When this happens, children do not develop their communication and language skills as well as they could.

There is a whole-school approach to teaching pupils about healthy relationships. The school consults with families, community and religious leaders to ensure that it teaches the statutory aspects of relationship and sex education, while being sensitive to their religious beliefs.

The school goes above and beyond to provide exceptional opportunities that support pupils' personal development.

The school introduces pupils to a range of well-chosen role models. Pupils' aspirations are raised by learning about inspirational people such as Hannah Shields, the first woman from Northern Ireland to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Pupils in key stage 2 have opportunities to work with local universities to explore potential careers.

Pupils have leadership responsibilities, such as roles as eco leaders who litter pick in the locality. Pupils enjoy spending time playing games with residents at a local care home. This develops respectful multi-generational relationships.

Pupils take part in a variety of sporting and musical activities. They have many opportunities to participate, compete and perform.

The school has worked tirelessly to improve the attendance and punctuality of its pupils.

The school's initiative 'to be on time at quarter to nine' is beginning to positively impact on pupils arriving on time to school.

The school's leaders have taken bold, decisive action to review and develop the curriculum. Staff share the school's highly ambitious vision for high-quality education for all pupils.

Governors are knowledgeable and proud of the school's work to support families in the community. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about how mindful the school is of their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In the early years, there is some variation in how well adults interact with children to help them to get the most from their learning, particularly in more open learning activities. When this happens, children do not learn as well as in other contexts. The school should work with staff to refine their interactions with children to further enhance children's learning, including children's communication and language skills.

• Some checks the school completes on what pupils know and remember do not give enough information to swiftly adapt and refine teaching in the moment. This means some pupils learning does not move forward as swiftly as it could. The school should ensure that the checks it completes inform future learning to consistent effect.