The Grange Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The Grange Primary School is a caring and welcoming school. Pupils enjoy attending.

Staff care for pupils and ensure that they are safe and feel valued.

Until recently, the school has not identified that the quality of education pupils experience has not been good enough. With the support of the local authority, the school is now working with determination to improve the quality of education and other aspects of the school.

Many of these changes are at the early stages. Presently, the education that pupils receive, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), does not prepare them as well as it should for their next steps....

Pupils are generally kind to each other and play well at playtimes.

However, in classrooms, poor behaviour can disrupt learning. Adults do not have consistent expectations of pupils' behaviour. Some adults do not manage pupils' behaviour well.

Some pupils hold leadership roles, such as on the school council or as well-being ambassadors. Others regularly visit a local care home to read to residents. These opportunities help pupils to understand how they can contribute to their community.

Recently, leaders have established opportunities for parents and carers to come into school for activities such as coffee mornings and cooking classes. These events are strengthening the school's relationship with the community.

There is a variety of clubs for pupils to develop their talents and interest, such as gardening club and 'music jukebox'.

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

Recently, leaders have strengthened the curriculum by ensuring that the important knowledge that pupils should learn and remember in each subject is clearly identified. However, teachers do not teach the curriculum consistently well. In some lessons, teachers explain new learning clearly.

This is not consistent across the school. In some subjects, teachers have not had specific training to develop the subject knowledge they need to help pupils do well. Some of the activities that teachers choose do not help pupils to learn the content that leaders intend.

Staff do not check that pupils remember what they have been taught regularly enough. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge that go unaddressed.

There is an ambitious curriculum in place to help pupils learn to read.

Most staff have had training to help them to teach early reading well. Staff introduce new sounds clearly. However, staff do not provide enough opportunity for pupils to read the sounds that they are learning in words and sentences.

This means some pupils forget the sounds that they have been taught. The support for pupils who struggle with reading is variable. In some year groups, catch-up support does not happen regularly enough to help pupils to become fluent and confident readers.

Leaders are working to improve the early years. They have strengthened the curriculum and made sure that the provision in Reception enables children to develop the knowledge and skills they need. In Reception, staff build children's vocabulary and communication skills well.

Staff use the outdoor provision carefully to develop children's learning. Children's achievement in Reception is improving as a result. Leaders have planned further training for staff to ensure that the emerging improvements in Reception are mirrored in the Nursery class.

Recently, leaders have worked to improve the provision for pupils with SEND. Some pupils are well supported, such as through the use of 'now and next' boards and physical aids to help them overcome barriers to learning. However, this is not consistent for all pupils with SEND.

Some pupils' support plans are not clear enough about their next steps in learning or how staff should help pupils to achieve them. This means that some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they should.

Pupils learn how to live healthy lifestyles and have strong relationships with their peers.

They learn about protected characteristics during specific units of work around Black history and women's history. Some pupils benefit from workshops to help them understand the risks they might face in the community. However, leaders have not adapted the curriculum to ensure that all pupils learn this important information.

Pupils do not develop a deep enough understanding of different religions. Consequently, pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be.

Leaders are taking appropriate action with individual children and families to improve attendance.

There are early indications that this is reducing the number of pupils who are persistently absent.

There has been some recent turbulence in the governing body. This has resulted in a number of governor vacancies.

Governors are hardworking and well intentioned. However, they have not completed sufficient training to help them fulfil their roles well. When governors visit the school, they do not feedback their findings to the full governing body.

These factors limit how effectively the governing body is able to hold leaders to account.

Leaders are focused on creating a positive school culture. Staff report increased openness, support, training and development by leaders.

Teachers at the early stages of their career are well supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read do not receive the support they need to catch up.

As a result, they continue to struggle with reading. The school should ensure that all pupils who need support with reading receive this frequently and in a timely manner. ? Some staff do not have the subject or pedagogical knowledge they need.

As a result, some of the explanations given by teachers and the activities they choose do not help pupils, including those with SEND, to remember the important knowledge they need to know. The school should ensure that staff receive appropriate training to help them to teach the curriculum well. ? Staff do not systematically check pupils' understanding.

As a result, staff do not adapt the curriculum to help pupils, including those with SEND, address misconceptions or fill gaps in their knowledge. The school should work with staff to develop strategies to check that pupils are learning the content identified in each curriculum. ? There is variability in the expectations of pupils' behaviour among staff.

In some lessons, low-level disruption and pupil disengagement are not well managed. The school should ensure that there is a clear understanding of how pupils should behave and a consistent approach to ensure pupils meet this expectation. ? The curriculum for pupils' personal development is not complete.

At present, pupils do not learn and remember the knowledge they need to be well prepared for life in modern Britain. The school should continue to strengthen the curriculum for pupils' personal development to ensure that pupils learn the knowledge they need. ? The governing body has a number of vacancies.

Some governors have not had sufficient training. As a result, the governing body does not hold school leaders to account for their actions effectively. The governing body should work to build its capacity and knowledge in order to better hold leaders to account.