Gildersome Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a friendly school that is warm, welcoming and inclusive.

The sharp focus on ensuring that all pupils succeed academically is woven together with the values and ethos of 'nurture, aspire, achieve'. Leaders, including governors, have acted purposefully to address the areas of weakness identified at the time of the previous inspection. As a result, this is now a good school where pupils achieve well.

Pupils behave well both in lessons and around school. They can concentrate on their learning free from distractions. Bullying is rare.

Where it does happen, staff deal with it effectively. Pupils feel safe. They know how to report any concerns a...nd are confident that staff will take care of them.

Leaders support pupils to develop their own voice. Pupils' knowledge and ambitious vocabulary enable them to take part in class discussions and debates. Many pupils choose to take on additional responsibilities in school.

They enjoy their roles as reading buddies and they take their class ambassador roles seriously. The school council is a vibrant and vocal part of the school. The pupil councillors meet with other school councils through the Leeds Youth Forum, which contributes to projects within Leeds City Council.

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

Leaders have focused on developing a rich curriculum that meets the ambition of the national curriculum. The curriculum for each subject is planned carefully from the very start of the early years foundation stage. Leaders ensure that teachers teach important subject knowledge in the right order.

Teachers are aware of what pupils have learned before and make sure that their current topic builds on this. Leaders have identified the rich vocabulary that they expect pupils to be able to use. Teachers skilfully choose texts to enhance the subject curriculum and help pupils make connections between subjects.

Language is seen as the 'glue' that brings everything together.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They work together to share their practice.

Staff value the regular training and support they have received from school leaders and external partners in helping them to deliver the curriculum. However, some teachers do not consistently ensure that pupils learn the important knowledge that is set out in the curriculum.

Leaders and teachers know that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to gaps in pupils' knowledge.

Teachers routinely check pupils' understanding. Adults use this information to identify gaps in knowledge and to make changes to the next learning activity. However, some teachers do not consistently provide opportunities for pupils to revisit important learning from earlier topics so that pupils remember this important information over time.

Leaders have prioritised reading throughout the school. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read are well supported. A new phonics scheme has been introduced.

Staff delivering this scheme have received training to ensure that they teach phonics well. Where there are gaps in pupils' phonics knowledge due to COVID-19, targeted support helps pupils to catch up quickly.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.

Staff are knowledgeable about their learning needs. Support plans ensure that pupils with SEND are helped to access the full curriculum. Some pupils with SEND access useful additional therapeutic support.

Leaders are persistent in securing additional help and support for pupils and families where needed.

Pupils behave well across the school. Children in Nursery quickly learn to follow clear routines.

Pupils are respectful to each other and to adults. They line up quietly at lunchtime and wait their turn to be served. Pupils understand the value of rules and routines and how these help them to play their part in the wider school community.

Pupils who misbehave are supported to reflect on their behaviour and consider how to change their actions in the future. There is a clear focus on providing pupils with the language, skills and knowledge to help them to make better choices. Pupils find this process helpful.

The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum helps pupils to understand that some people may be different from others. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They have a good understanding of the risks of social media and the impact of cyber-bullying.

There are many opportunities for pupils to engage with and support the wider community.

Governance is strong and effective. Governors are skilled at holding school leaders to account.

The school benefits from their strategic challenge and direction. Governors value the training and support from external partners, including from the local authority. Leaders, including governors, are considerate of staff well-being, and staff feel well supported by them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff receive regular training on a range of safeguarding issues. All staff know the signs that suggest a pupil may be at risk of harm.

Adults follow up these concerns promptly. Leaders are knowledgeable about the risks that pupils may face in the community. They provide regular staff briefings.

Despite this, a few staff are not aware of some of the wider safeguarding concerns that exist outside school. All staff ensure that pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and how to report any concerns. As a result, pupils feel safe in school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The full ambition of the planned curriculum is not consistently implemented by some teachers in some subjects. This means that some pupils do not learn the important knowledge that leaders have identified. Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently plan sequences of teaching that enable pupils to progress through the intended curriculum.

• In some subjects, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to regularly revisit key knowledge over time. As a result, their learning is fragile as they have not managed to secure it in their long-term memory. Leaders should ensure that teachers plan regular opportunities for pupils to recap and embed important knowledge.