Greenvale Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 November 2023

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 are 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 the school should improve

• 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.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)