Greenfield CofE VC Lower School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are positive about their experiences at this school. They are motivated to learn, persevere and work hard. Pupils are determined to earn 'smilies' or a leaf for the 'values tree'.

They listen carefully and act immediately on teachers' advice. Pupils like answering the 'big question' in topics. As a result, they are successful learners.

Pupils display high levels of respect and empathy. They follow the school's rules and values consistently well. Older pupils relish being positive role models and play friends.

All pupils mix happily and safely together. They like the sense of community this creates.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

They... learn in calm and well-ordered lessons. Pupils know what is expected of them and conform to this. Incidents of poor behaviour are rare and effectively addressed.

Pupils appreciate how staff listen to them and deal straight away with any concerns.

Pupils have the chance to be on the school council, in the choir, to run class worship or to be a hall monitor. Pupils love to read.

They enjoy how the curriculum is brought to life, such as through an Ancient Egyptian Day or a visit to the zoo or to church. Year 4 pupils develop teamwork on their residential trip. Extra-curricular sports clubs are popular.

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

The school has in place a well-designed and ambitious curriculum. Pupils achieve well. However, leaders have recently updated curriculum content to develop pupils' knowledge even further.

Staff have started to have training on these changes, starting with phonics and mathematics. This is having a positive impact.

In all year groups, staff know what content they need to teach and when.

Pupils are provided with activities and vocabulary to broaden their understanding. However, some staff are still becoming familiar with the new curriculum content in some foundation subjects. They are not yet fully secure about the depth of knowledge they need to teach or how it builds exactly on what has been taught before.

Pupils therefore are not always given work that precisely matches the ambitious curriculum aims. Pupils can recall what they have learned but they do not always apply learning to the depth they might.

The school keeps a close eye on how well pupils are learning the curriculum.

Staff address misconceptions. Pupils who need extra help, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have specific learning targets. They receive additional support.

However, the school does not routinely use these checks or targets to adapt activities well enough in lessons to meet the needs of all pupils. This means that some pupils complete work that they can do already. Some others do not have gaps in learning filled quickly enough.

Children develop a love of reading as soon as they start in early years. Phonics is taught well. Pupils read books that help them practise the sounds they have learned.

Most pupils are confident and fluent readers by the end of key stage 1. Older pupils enjoy reading a range of authors. They read regularly at school and at home.

Staff keep checks on how often pupils read. They quickly spot any gaps in reading knowledge and provide effective interventions.

Children in early years make a positive start to school.

They follow clear routines. Children know how to share and take turns. They sustain concentration well.

Staff provide engaging activities to stimulate children's learning. Children are well prepared for Year 1. However, sometimes, opportunities are missed to then extend children's knowledge further during their play.

All pupils, including the very youngest, behave exceptionally well. This means that pupils can fully concentrate on learning. Through the school's deliberate teaching of the values of respect and acceptance, pupils get along well.

They help each other out and suggest ways to improve school life. Pupils have high attendance. Pupils who are off school when unwell are supported by teachers to catch up when they return.

The personal development curriculum ensures that pupils understand how to follow healthy life choices and to stay safe. Pupils understand British values, such as democracy, through elections to leadership roles. In early years, children vote for different activity choices.

Older pupils attend transition sessions with their middle school and so are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

There have been some recent staff changes. New staff feel welcome.

All staff appreciate that leaders consider their well-being and provide support to ensure that they can carry out their roles.

Governors and members of the trust fulfil their statutory duties. They check on how well the school is performing.

Governors are working to ensure that there is a clear, long-term strategic plan for the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff are still getting used to some of the updated curriculum expectations, and so there are occasions when the curriculum is not taught as well as leaders intend.

This means that in some subjects, some pupils are not yet taught knowledge in the detail or depth desired or always build well enough on prior learning. The school needs to ensure that all staff have the subject knowledge and pedagogical support to deliver the ambitious curriculum aims fully and confidently. ? Checks on what pupils know are not used precisely enough to inform pupils' next steps in learning.

This means that there are missed opportunities for some pupils, including pupils with SEND and in early years, to extend their learning further or have gaps filled more quickly. Staff need to ensure that they use checks on learning precisely to meet the specific needs in their class. Leaders need to check that this happens so that all pupils achieve what they are fully capable of.