Greenside Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Greenside Primary School. Leaders, governors and parents celebrate the school being at the heart of its community. It is! Pupils are rightly proud of their school and their learning.

Their positive attitudes to school life and learning are exceptional.

Leaders have carefully and purposefully planned a highly ambitious curriculum. Precise and thoughtful planning, across all key stages, helps pupils to achieve extremely well.

Leaders' high ambitions for pupils flow across the school day. Staff at all levels understand these ambitions. Staff support pupils effectively.

Pupils achieve the high expectations set for them.

Pupils' ...behaviour across the school is exemplary. Pupils live out the school's values of respect, resilience and responsibility in everything they do.

Their positive attitudes to learning are nurtured through the strong relationships between staff and pupils. These strong connections start with children in early years. They flourish as pupils move though the school.

Routines and expectations are clear for all.

Educational experiences beyond the classroom are deeply connected to enable pupils to make sense of the world they live in. Carefully chosen visits enrich the taught curriculum exceptionally well.

Leaders prioritise pupils' sense of community through the use of local amenities such as the local cricket club. Pupils raise the community's awareness around road safety. Pupils have a deep understanding of the issues in the locality that impact on the lives of local residents.

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

Leaders, including governors, and staff share the same aspirational vision for the pupils who attend this school. Carefully chosen small steps of learning help pupils achieve highly. Effective sequencing of the curriculum helps pupils to use and apply their previous learning extremely well.

For example, pupils in Year 2 use their detailed knowledge of special celebrations, gained previously in religious education (RE) lessons, in their work around other faiths. Older pupils connect new learning to previous learning with clarity. In history, pupils use their knowledge of Anglo-Saxons to understand their new learning about the Vikings well.

This high level of connectivity starts with the curriculum in early years. The exceptionally well-planned early years curriculum is implemented very effectively.

Pupils talk with detail and understanding about their learning.

They enjoy their lessons and recognise how they are getting better over time. Teachers' strong subject knowledge helps pupils understand and remember the content of the different topics they study well. Leaders and teachers use assessment carefully to ensure that pupils make the progress they have planned.

Children in early years receive precise support to meet their needs. This helps them make a flying start to their learning. They work with purpose and focus alongside their peers and adults in the well-thought-out provision.

Reading is celebrated across school. Daily opportunities to read happen in class and at social times. Pupils benefit from these opportunities.

Phonics is expertly taught. Pupils master phonics successfully. Pupils talk enthusiastically and knowledgeably about the wide range of texts they read together in class and individually.

Leaders ensure that pupils use language, including sophisticated and subject-specific vocabulary, correctly. This unlocks pupils' learning across subjects.

The school enables pupils and staff to thrive through thoughtful practices.

Leaders at all levels work collaboratively to realise the school's exacting ambitions. This collective approach fosters caring relationships and sets clear expectations for school life. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported to work with their peers.

Sensible and effective adaptations to teaching give pupils with SEND the help they need to succeed.

Pupils articulate clearly the high expectations the school has around behaviour. Their learning is rarely disrupted.

Leaders are responsive to pupils' needs if their behaviour is not in line with the school's rules. The school accesses support for pupils promptly, if needed. It uses additional professionals, such as counsellors, to support well-being and/or bereavement.

The youngest children in school exemplify the school's approach to positive behaviour and attitudes. They persevere with activities for sustained periods of time. Pupils attend school regularly.

They benefit from the high levels of care and learning opportunities the school offers.

The school's offer, beyond classroom learning, is carefully sequenced. Pupils' experiences build steadily throughout their time in school.

Children in early years develop an understanding of the past through well-chosen museum experiences. Older pupils experience plays that feed directly into high-quality writing. Pupils' understanding of faith allows them to debate similarities and differences maturely.

Leaders ensure that pupils know how to keep safe in different ways. The school plans its personal development offer precisely. Nothing is left to chance.

Leaders champion the professional development opportunities staff have in school, as do the staff. Governors ensure that leaders' ambition is seen in the provision pupils receive. Staff are proud to work at Greenside Primary School.

They are extremely well supported. Governors and leaders keep an eye on staff's workload and well-being vigilantly.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.