Gorton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff make sure that the school is a place where all pupils feel part of a friendly community. Pupils told inspectors that everyone is made to feel welcome, regardless of their differences.

Pupils new to the school make friends quickly. They value the strong friendships that they have with their classmates. Pupils feel safe and happy in school.

Pupils are keen to meet the high expectations that leaders and staff have of them.Pupils follow the established routines that leaders have put in place. As a result, learning is rarely interrupted by poor behaviour.

This allows pupils to make the most of their learning opportunities and achieve well.
...r/>Leaders have put effective systems in place to identify any incidents of bullying. On the rare occasions that bullying occurs, it is reported and dealt with quickly by leaders.

Pupils value the opportunities to take on responsibilities. These include being part of the school council or being a class monitor. Pupils enjoy the range of clubs that they have access to, which help them to develop some of their talents and interests.

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

Across the curriculum, leaders have ensured ambition for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn in different subjects. Leaders have considered when this important knowledge should be taught.

Teachers have the expertise that they require to introduce new learning to pupils effectively. Support from experienced curriculum leaders enables teachers to further develop their expertise across different subjects.

In the majority of subjects, teachers check what pupils remember from earlier content.

They revisit previous learning, where needed, to help pupils secure their knowledge. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders do not ensure that teachers check how well pupils have remembered and understood previous learning. New topics and concepts are sometimes introduced too early for some pupils.

Consequently, these pupils do not build up their knowledge as well as they should.

Leaders place a high priority on helping pupils to develop a secure knowledge of phonics. Pupils benefit from a carefully constructed phonics programme, delivered by well-trained staff.

This starts when children begin in the Reception Year. Staff identify accurately pupils who need extra help in learning phonics. The support that these pupils receive helps them to keep up and catch up with their peers.

New arrivals to the school, including pupils who speak English as an additional language, begin to learn phonics quickly and successfully.

Developing a love of books begins in the early years. Staff read high-quality books to children very regularly.

This supports children's language development. Leaders ensure that pupils read books that are closely matched to their developing phonic knowledge. As a result, pupils experience success when reading.

Over time, they become fluent readers who gain great pleasure from books. Most pupils who join the school in the Nursery or the Reception Year become fluent and confident readers by the end of key stage 1. A significant proportion of pupils join the school part-way through key stage 1.

Many speak English as an additional language, and some pupils have little prior experience of school. Leaders provide effective support for these pupils. The majority catch up with their peers by the time they are in key stage 2.

Pupils attending the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision) follow a curriculum that is tailored to meet their individual needs. Staff prioritise the teaching of reading and writing, alongside developing pupils' independence. Leaders work effectively with a range of external professionals in supporting these pupils to achieve well.

Across the school, leaders ensure that there are effective systems in place to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. For the majority of these pupils, teachers are successful in adapting how they deliver the curriculum. Occasionally, leaders do not check that the support for pupils with SEND is effective.

This means that a small number of these pupils do not get the support that they need to achieve as well as they should.

Pupils behave well. Children in the early years are considerate of one another and keen to help at tidy-up time.

Across the school, pupils show high levels of respect towards one another and towards staff.

Pupils benefit from a range of personal development opportunities. They are knowledgeable about mental health and understand how to keep themselves safe online and outside of school.

Governors and trustees are ambitious for all pupils. They support and challenge leaders well. They are considerate of staff's workload and well-being when making decisions about policies and procedures.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff are trained well to spot signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Staff follow clear procedures to report any concerns that they have about a pupil.

Leaders respond to safeguarding concerns in a timely manner and work effectively with external agencies when needed.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. Leaders ensure that the curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to understand risks.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, teachers do not check how well pupils have remembered and understood what they have been taught. This means that, in these subjects, teachers sometimes introduce new learning to pupils before their existing knowledge is secure. Leaders should ensure that teachers are well equipped to check that pupils' learning is embedded before introducing new topics and concepts.

• In a small number of cases, leaders do not ensure that adaptations for pupils with SEND are being delivered as intended. This means that a small number of pupils with SEND do not get the exact support that they need to achieve as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that pupils with SEND receive the support that they need to achieve well.