Girlington Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this welcoming and inclusive school. They feel safe and are kept safe by caring adults.

Bullying is rare, and pupils know that adults always act swiftly to help resolve any problems. They know that they can go to trusted adults with any worries.

The school is ambitious for what pupils can achieve and has high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils fulfil these high expectations and achieve well. Children get off to an excellent start to their education in the early years.

The school also has high expectations of pupils' behaviour, and these expectations are r...ealised.

Pupils are polite and courteous. There is a strong sense of calm and purposeful activity in classrooms. In lessons, pupils are highly engaged in their learning.

They are attentive and keen to contribute.

There are opportunities for pupils to develop a range of skills and talents through a broad offer of extra-curricular clubs. Many pupils enjoy attending these, which includes clubs themed around different sports, as well as healthy lifestyles through the nutrition club.

The school ensures that disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND attend these clubs. Pupils are encouraged to eat healthily, and they all have access to free fruit at breaktimes.

Pupils are welcoming and are respectful of others.

They are encouraged to take responsibility through class and school councillor roles. Pupils in these positions of responsibility can explain how they contribute to everybody having a role in improving the school.

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

The school has an ambitious and well-planned curriculum.

The important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn have been identified. Teachers plan sequences of lessons that ensure that pupils' knowledge builds on what they have learned before. Where assessment helps to inform these plans, pupils learn well, such as in mathematics.

In some subjects, such as music and history, assessment systems are less well developed. In these subjects, teachers and leaders do not know consistently where there are gaps in pupils' knowledge that need addressing.

Pupils are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

For example, the excellent curriculum in early years gets children off to the best possible start and prepares them well for key stage 1. They learn early mathematical concepts by applying their knowledge in a range of practical contexts. Children also learn about repeating patterns and how to recognise numerals in different situations.

At snack time, children in Nursery learn mathematical language relating to shape and length.

The school has the same high ambition for all pupils, including those with SEND. Pupils with a wide range of complex needs are supported well by adults who understand their needs.

They achieve well as a result. Pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with hearing impairments are well supported. They are integrated fully into the everyday life of the school.

Reading is given a high priority in the school. It is seen as essential to pupils' access to the wider curriculum. There is a strong focus on pupils developing their love of reading.

In early years, high-quality books are shared and celebrated. Pupils in key stage 2 enjoy reading. They hold interesting and knowledgeable discussions about their favourite books and authors.

The school's chosen scheme for the teaching of phonics is taught consistently well by teachers, who are well trained. Pupils who fall behind or who struggle with reading are quickly identified and supported to keep up. The books that pupils read are closely matched to the phonic sounds that they know.

The school has a well-structured programme for personal, social and health education. This is delivered thoroughly through lessons and assemblies. As a result, pupils understand some aspects of the fundamental British values, such as democracy and individual liberty.

However, some pupils have limited experiences of learning about people and environments beyond their immediate community.

Pupils behave well. Adults and pupils enjoy positive and productive relationships with each other.

In early years, strong routines and high expectations mean that children work well together and with prolonged attention. There are still too many pupils who are persistently absent or who do not attend school as regularly as they should. These pupils miss vital learning.

They do not make the progress through the curriculum of which they are capable.

Adults enable children's learning exceptionally well in the early years. There is a relentless focus on the development of each child's language and vocabulary.

Familiar songs and rhymes are used expertly and in highly engaging ways to support children's learning. Adults support children's well-being and emotional security very well. There are strong and productive partnerships with parents and carers.

Children are prepared exceptionally well for key stage 1.

Governors share leaders' high ambitions for the pupils. They are passionate and committed to ensuring that all pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education and for life.

They understand their important roles in relation to the school, and they carry out these roles well. They are highly committed and ensure that they visit the school to see plans in action and to monitor the impact of agreed policies.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Newly introduced assessment procedures in some foundation subjects are not embedded. As a result, teaching is less well informed about the next steps in pupils' learning and the important knowledge they need. The school should ensure that assessment is used effectively in all areas of the foundation curriculum.

• Pupils' attendance is improving but remains irregular. Many pupils miss out on vital learning and do not achieve as well as they should. The school should continue to work with parents who do not see the importance of regular school attendance.

• Some pupils have limited experience of learning about people or communities beyond their own. Because of this, they are not well prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders should ensure that the school's programme of personal development is sufficiently well designed so that pupils benefit from a wide and rich set of experiences and learning that prepare them well for life.