Grove Road Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Grove Road Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Grove Road Primary is a very inclusive school.

Pupils from the on-site special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) provision are involved in all aspects of school life. Pupils across the school learn and play together. Leaders encourage all pupils to take part in the wide range of extra-curricular clubs on offer.

Staff provide appropriate support for pupils and families so that no one misses out.

Pupils enjoy the equipment in the playground and playing in the different areas. Pupils said that they particularly enjoy climbing in the 'valleys area'.

Pupi...ls get on well with each other and behave well. Older pupils help and support younger pupils to sort out any problems. Bullying rarely occurs and staff take appropriate action to deal with any issues.

Pupils are safe in school. Staff form trusting relationships with pupils.

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve.

They check that the decisions they make have the right impact and make changes if they feel that things need to improve. Leaders prioritise the right things. As a result, pupils typically achieve well.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. Leaders, teachers and teaching assistants work in teams to lead subjects. Staff receive appropriate training and have strong subject knowledge.

They think about what they want pupils to know and remember in subjects. Staff sequence what pupils are taught logically from early years to Year 6. Pupils recap knowledge they have learned in the past.

This helps them remember and make important connections. For example, pupils in Year 5 spoke about how learning about place value in Year 3 helps them round decimal numbers successfully. Sometimes teaching does not make the important knowledge that pupils need to know explicit enough.

Where this is the case, pupils struggle to connect and build on prior knowledge.

Leaders have embedded a consistent approach to teaching phonics from early years. Staff find out what letters and sounds children know when they join the school.

Staff match their teaching accordingly and make sure that books match the sounds that children know as they learn to read. Pupils who attend the SEND provision learn phonics alongside their peers. Leaders modify the phonics teaching for pupils with complex needs so that all pupils learn to read.

Pupils enjoy reading. They like borrowing books from the library to share at home. Leaders' commitment to reading helps pupils to become confident and fluent readers.

Leaders provide training for staff, including how to recognise that a pupil may have SEND. Leaders work with a range of external professionals to provide tailored support where necessary. Sometimes leaders struggle to access some services, but they find alternative ways for pupils to get the right support.

For instance, leaders work with external organisations to train teaching assistants. This means that teaching assistants have appropriate knowledge and skills to support pupils effectively.

Pupils are motivated to behave well.

They enjoy receiving rewards for their efforts. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about exchanging their reward points for prizes and experiences. They behave well in lessons and around the school.

Staff are quick to address low-level disruption so that it does not interrupt learning.

Leaders prioritise pupils' wider development. Some clubs and activities were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but most have restarted.

Pupils go on a wide range of trips, including visits to the Houses of Parliament and Kew Gardens. Pupils enjoy attending extra-curricular clubs, such as those for cheerleading, choir, origami and football. Older pupils take on responsibilities, such as being a prefect or head pupil.

Year 6 peer mediators spoke about the importance of being unbiased when helping pupils resolve problems.

Governors receive training to carry out their role well. They provide effective support and challenge for leaders.

Governors work with leaders to check that school staff do not have excessive workload pressures. Staff appreciate the support of governors and leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Governors, leaders and staff receive appropriate safeguarding training. Staff use the school systems to alert leaders if they are concerned about a pupil. Leaders follow up concerns and take appropriate action.

Leaders work with external safeguarding professionals to seek advice and escalate concerns if necessary. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They learn about abuse and consent in an age-appropriate way.

For example, pupils attend workshops delivered by the NSPCC. Pupils also learn about online safety and how to report any concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teaching does not make the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember explicit enough.

Where this is the case, pupils struggle to connect and build on prior knowledge. Leaders must make sure that curriculum thinking is made clearer to teachers so that pupils are taught the essential content in all subject areas and have opportunities to revisit this knowledge.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2017.