Girton Glebe Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Girton Glebe Primary School is at the heart of the village community. Pupils show pride in their school.

Pupils are happy.

They are motivated and ready to learn the broad and varied curriculum on offer. This helps them meet the high expectations of staff. This includes the very youngest children who have recently just started the school.

Pupils are safe. If they have any worries, they can talk to the adults around them. Pupils say that bullying is very rare.

Any incidents of unkindness are followed up by leaders straight away. Pupils are keen to help one another.

Relationships between pupils are kind and respectful.

Pupils are taugh...t to accept and celebrate their differences. This means all pupils feel welcome and included. As such, behaviour in lessons and on the playground is harmonious.

Pupils enjoy a range of after-school clubs that are available to develop pupils' talents and interests. These include cake club, choir and art club. Most parents are positive about the experience their children are getting.

However, a small but significant number of parents are hoping for more stability in staffing following many changes over the previous academic year.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that clearly sets out the knowledge and skills leaders intend pupils to learn. This high expectation is for all pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The new curriculum is being embedded well. It is well thought through and taught in small steps so pupils remember more and can connect what they have learned before. Curriculum leaders have begun to check if it is having the intended impact over time, but this work is still being developed.

Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge of the curriculum they are teaching. This is because of leaders' effective training and support. Teachers regularly check pupils' understanding of lessons.

Pupils can recall prior learning and build new knowledge on what they have learned before.

The new reading curriculum is being implemented in line with leaders' intentions. Pupils at an early stage of reading are benefiting from a consistent approach to learning new sounds to read words.

The books pupils are reading are well matched to the sounds they already know. Older pupils learn new vocabulary from the ambitious texts they access. These include books they read themselves and the class texts that are read by their teacher.

Pupils with SEND have their needs correctly identified. They access the curriculum through well-planned support delivered by skilled staff. Pupils' targets are appropriately matched to their needs and are regularly reviewed.

Pupils show resilience in their learning, especially when they have to persevere with tasks. As a result, pupils with SEND are achieving well.

Children in the Reception class have settled into school well.

Successful personalised transition arrangements contribute towards this. Since the national lockdowns, staff have focused on children's abilities to share and form relationships. The early years curriculum is designed and delivered to introduce and embed new concepts and language.

The activities staff plan help children practise new learning.

The school's positive behaviour systems are understood by pupils and are used consistently by staff. Where specific pupils have social and emotional needs, leaders ensure the correct support is available.

Staff know pupils well. Although leaders have systems for recording and acting on concerns about pupils, they do not always analyse this information to identify patterns.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of additional opportunities that enhance their development, for example residential trips and local visits.

These experiences contribute to pupils gaining a deeper understanding of their class-based learning, such as different historical periods.

The local governing body and the board of trustees hold clearly defined roles to fulfil their statutory duties. Through meetings and visiting the school, they are suitably informed and well placed to challenge leaders about curriculum strengths and weaknesses.

However, the information governors receive from leaders does not support governors well enough to be able to challenge leaders about other areas such as behaviour or attendance due to information shared by leaders not being detailed enough.

Staff are appreciative of the support from governors regarding managing workload and providing additional training. The sharing of expertise across the trust schools has benefited staff and leaders.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. However, governors and trustees are aware of the need to reassure a small number of parents who have voiced concerns about the changes in staffing over the last year.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all staff receive effective training to keep pupils safe. Staff know how and when to record concerns about pupils. Concerns are checked by leaders, quickly followed up on and appropriate action taken.

Support from outside agencies is well matched to the needs of pupils and their families.

Pupils are taught to know how to keep themselves safe both online and in their community. Pupils show an age-appropriate understanding of current issues during personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons.

Arrangements for checking the suitability of staff during and after recruitment are robust.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Most of the curriculum, including the early years, has been recently revised and is now being embedded. Leaders must ensure all curriculum leaders continue to check the curriculum content is being remembered by pupils and it continues to have the impact that leaders expect.

• Some of the information leaders provide those with responsibility for governance is not detailed enough. This results in governors not being able to robustly challenge leaders in aspects such as behaviour and attendance. Leaders must better collate and share information they hold about these crucial areas so that governors can make even more effective use of this to hold leaders to account effectively.

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