pdf School inspection report - Ofsted

52. There are effective procedures in place to ensure the health, safety and protection of
its pupils. Nominated members of staff co-ordinate the necessary arrangements and
there are good links with most outside agencies.
53. The school continues to have very good procedures in place to promote very good
behaviour and there are no incidents of bullying recorded. The procedures for
monitoring attendance, however, are currently unsatisfactory. The numerous
occurrences of lateness are not being recorded correctly in class registers and
absences are not followed up quickly enough. The involvement of the educational
welfare service is ineffective in identifying and dealing with this current problem. The
home-school link workers try very hard and use different strategies in an attempt to
improve pupils’ attendance.
54. There are good procedures in place to monitor pupils’ academic and personal
development. This is an improvement on the previous inspection. There are formal
procedures in place to assess pupils’ progress in mathematics and English and there
are formative arrangements for other subjects. The assessment information is used
well to guide teachers’ planning and set individual targets for the pupils. The personal
development targets, especially for the older pupils, have increased their confidence
and communication skills. The arrangements in place have meant that the teachers
know their pupils very well and have been able to effectively support them and their
needs.
55. There are good arrangements to assess the level of pupils’ English language
acquisition. The information gained enables the school to note which of the five
stages of English language each pupil has reached each year. The school takes care
not to equate poor English to special educational needs. Pupils are grouped
according to their ability in subjects where appropriate, rather than according to their
English skills. Where it is suspected that a pupil has special educational needs, he or
she is assessed by a bilingual support assistant using the pupil’s mother tongue. This
enables staff to detect special educational needs and work to meet them.
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
56. There are very good induction arrangements which ensure that children under five
settle well into school routines. Parents view the school very favourably and are
supportive of what is trying to be achieved. The questionnaire and the formal meeting
raised no significant minor issues. Parents spoken to during inspection week
highlighted the positive progress their children have made, particularly with regards to
learning English as a second language.
57. The quality of information provided for parents is good. There are regular newsletters
and home visits made by staff, as well as a number of notice-boards strategically
placed around the school. There are opportunities to meet with teachers on a daily
basis and to attend the more formal meetings each term. The end of year academic
reports on pupils’ progress are informative and welcomed by parents. The governing
body has managed to recruit parent representatives to its numbers. Attendance at
meetings is intermittent and, except for a few notable activists, the governing body is
ineffectual, as it does not hold the school to account or have vision for its future,
relying too heavily on the strong management of the headteacher.
Greenhill Community School - 21