Greenvale Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk about their inclusive and welcoming school with great joy and enthusiasm. As one pupil commented to inspectors, 'You will love it here too!' Pupils know the school's values of respect, readiness, resourcefulness, responsibility, resilience and reflectiveness well.

They can explain what these values mean to them and how they help to make their school a great place to be. In addition to the school's values, pupils say kindness is also very important at their school.

Pupils behave extremely well at school.

They are proud to demonstrate their 'smart walking' as they move around the school. Routines and expectations are securely established. Teachers a...re calm and gentle when they address pupils, but also very clear about exactly what they expect.

Pupils like the sense of security and predictability that these clear routines provide. Pupils work hard to live up to the school's high expectations for learning.

Pupils are very well supported to develop their inner confidence and well-being.

For example, Woody and Mabel, the school's therapy dogs, are integral members of the school, bringing a great sense of calm and companionship to pupils. All pupils are supported and encouraged to take part in the broad range of clubs offered at the school, including dance, cooking and 'around the world' club. Pupils benefit from a good range of trips and visits, including to a local farm.

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

Formerly an infant school, Greenvale Primary School is growing. Currently, the oldest year group is Year 3, but as pupils move through the school, leaders intend for it to provide education from Nursery to Year 6. Local confidence in the school has steadily grown, and most year groups are now full.

The school has fully reviewed the curriculum since the last inspection. In all subjects, the school has ensured that there is a clear and well sequenced curriculum. Staff have been provided with ongoing training to ensure that they understand the school's curriculum in each subject and know how to teach it.

Consequently, pupils achieve well in each year group. In a small number of subjects, there is more work to do to ensure that the small steps that pupils need to take to develop a broader skill or competency are clear.

Leaders recognise that the early years education that children receive is of vital importance to their future success.

In Nursery, staff focus on children's personal, social and emotional development, physical development and communication and interaction. This strong focus continues into Reception.

Staff in early years know every child very well and work closely with families to ensure that any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early so that children can get the right support from the start.

Staff have a clear understanding of each child's next steps in learning. However, the school recognises that it needs to think more carefully about what each child needs to know and be able to do by the end of Reception to be fully prepared for Year 1.

The school identified, just prior to the pandemic, that not all pupils were successfully learning to read at an age-appropriate standard.

To address this, the school introduced a new approach to the teaching of phonics. Work to embed this new approach was hampered by the pandemic. The school has now embedded the programme, and staff have been well trained in the teaching of early reading.

However, over time, too many pupils have fallen behind in their reading. Leaders prioritise helping pupils to catch up. Most pupils in Year 3, for example, have caught up with the school's planned reading curriculum.

Leaders have developed a strong personal development programme for all pupils. Young children are supported to develop an understanding of fairness and turn-taking. Children learn about voting in the context of classroom votes for stories, and then develop this understanding further when they take part in elections for the pupil council.

The school places a strong emphasis on physical health and development. This is promoted through the curriculum, and through extra-curricular activities right from the start. Nursery children, for example, take part in the Big Toddle to help children and families who need charitable support.

Leaders have developed a coherent personal, social and health education (PSHE) for pupils.

The school benefits from dedicated and stable leadership. Leaders at all levels have created a very positive environment for pupils, staff and the parent community.

Leaders have a clear grasp of the school's strengths and priorities. They remain determined to ensure that pupils at Greenvale Primary get the right foundations to thrive personally and academically now and into the future. Governors know the school well and ensure that they hold leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Over time, too many pupils have fallen behind with reading. Leaders have now taken effective action to strengthen the school's reading curriculum.

However, ensuring that every pupil who has fallen behind is supported to catch up quickly remains an urgent priority for leaders. The school must ensure that this catch-up work is prioritised and monitored rigorously by leaders at all levels, so that every pupil is supported to learn to read at an age-appropriate level and access the school's full curriculum offer. ? Staff in early years are not clear enough about what they want children to learn and be able to do by the end of Reception.

While staff know individual children well, including their SEND, and plan their next steps carefully, they sometimes lose sight of the big picture. The school needs to ensure that leaders carefully plan what children need to know and be able to do by the end of Reception to be fully prepared for Year 1. Leaders should ensure that all staff understand the small steps in learning which children need to make over the course of Nursery and Reception to achieve these curriculum end goals.