Glebe Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 October 2023

Pupils are polite and cheerful. They enjoy school and make strong friendships here. Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe. They talk with a member of staff if anything is worrying them. Typically, pupils behave well and show respect for others. Bullying is rare and when it does happen, staff deal with it quickly. The school works hard to provide pupils with rich learning experiences. School music and drama productions, special events and educational outings, for example to places of worship, deepen pupils' personal development. For example, younger pupils enjoyed seeing animals on the school's field during a visit from a local farm. Clubs, including street dance, chess and football, extend the interests of pupils who attend them. The school has recently introduced a new curriculum, which aims to raise expectations and support pupils in building knowledge and skills across the curriculum. Changes to the curriculum have not had time to show a lasting impact on pupils' achievement, including in early years and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

What the school should improve

• The curriculum is not planned and delivered equally well across all subjects, including in early years. Pupils are not helped routinely well across the curriculum to build up their knowledge of key concepts and remember what they have learned. The school should ensure that, across all subjects, subject-curriculum thinking, delivery and teachers' checks on pupils' learning and recall help all pupils to know, understand and do more securely over time, including in early years.
• The school's new approach to reading is not fully embedded. Weaker readers are behind in their reading and are not catching up quickly, and across the school, pupils do not read regularly. The school should continue to develop the reading curriculum so that weaker readers receive precise support matched to their needs, and so that all pupils are encouraged to read widely and often to develop reading fluency and accuracy.
• The school does not provide staff with detailed information about the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that pupils with SEND are not routinely well supported to learn the curriculum. The school needs to equip teachers and support staff with precise information to help them to adapt teaching and resources to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
• The school has not ensured that all staff have the subject expertise and training needed to support them in their roles. This means that not all teaching staff have the expertise to deliver the curriculum securely. This also has a negative impact on staff workload and well-being. The school should ensure that all staff are suitably trained and supported to perform their roles and that staff workload and well-being are supported.
• Communication between the school and staff and between the school and parents requires improvement. Staff and parents commented that the school's communication did not ensure that they were well informed. The school should review processes of communication with staff and with parents.
• The governing body does not have the information it needs to hold leaders to account. This limits its ability to check how well the school's actions are bringing about the necessary improvements. The school should ensure that the governing body has the information it needs to help it provide challenge and support.

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