Gislingham Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school thrive and achieve well. They make strong progress during their time at the school.

It is a very happy and inclusive school. Pupils welcome new starters and make sure they are included in their play and social circles. They look out for each other, and the older pupils help younger ones without being asked.

Everyone is accepted for who they are, no matter what their needs may be. Pupils feel safe and well cared for.

Pupils are expected to work hard, and they do.

The school has high expectations for what they can achieve; many pupils achieve a high standard academically by the time they leave. They are enthusiastic about the topi...cs they study and want to find out more. Their academic learning is supported by lots of other activities, such as learning the guitar and acting in Shakespeare's plays at a local theatre.

Behaviour is excellent. Low-level disruption is extremely rare. Pupils are very polite.

They are proud to show off their achievements, for example presenting to an international food producer about using sustainable, local products.

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

The curriculum in English and mathematics enables pupils to achieve highly by the end of school. Staff have received helpful training.

Their teaching is clear and well adapted to meet the needs of different pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff make effective use of visuals and apparatus in subjects such as mathematics and science, to help pupils to understand complex ideas. As a result, pupils' knowledge and skills in these areas are well developed.

Most of the wider curriculum is well planned. Teachers use and adapt schemes well to meet the needs of their classes. Pupils have their learning enhanced by role play and visits out, for example being an Egyptian for the day.

In a few areas of the curriculum, what is taught does not build as well on what has come before. When this is the case, pupils do not develop their skills to the same high levels of achievement as they do in other subjects.

Reading is taught to a high standard.

The school makes sure that pupils practise the exact sounds and trickier words that they need to become confident readers. Pupils read often. Any pupil at risk of falling behind gets additional support, both working with adults and using software that focuses on individuals' gaps in knowledge.

This is also the case for pupils with SEND. These pupils have highly individualised programmes in place to help them catch up or make strong progress from their starting points.

Vocabulary is a core theme in all lessons.

Adults in the early years expertly weave new words and those they have covered in teaching into children's play. The school makes sure that children in the early years practise writing regularly, using pencil and paper.

Pupils learn about fundamental British values in lessons and assemblies.

They show their excellent understanding of qualities such as respect and resilience through their everyday behaviour. Various councils are elected and are able to develop pupils' ideas. For example, following a suggestion from a school council member, the pupils organised a careers day.

Pupils further organise their own ways to make a difference to the school, for example starting a school newspaper.

Pupils behave extremely well. Older pupils model the high standards of behaviour to younger ones, who copy this and learn the routines and expectations.

It is a school where pupils genuinely value each and every member of their community. They celebrate successes with great enthusiasm. Pupils are motivated to work hard and keep going, even when the task is difficult.

The school works closely with families to ensure that pupils attend school regularly and on time.

Pupils learn about different cultures and ways of life in religious education and geography lessons. However, their understanding of world issues and what life is like elsewhere in Britain is not as highly developed as other areas of knowledge.

Staff appreciate the professional development they have received from the multi-academy trust. They also value the fact they are given time to pursue their own professional development interests. The impact of all this training is evident in the high-quality day-to-day lessons.

Governors and leaders work closely together to ensure that the school makes the best use of its resources.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A few subjects are not planned out to the same high standard as others.

Where this is the case, learning does not build or link to pupils' prior learning. Pupils do not make the same strong progress over time as they do in other subjects. The school needs to ensure that pupils are given the opportunities to appropriately build knowledge and skills on what has come before, from early years into key stage 1 and beyond.

• The teaching about other cultures, and global news, has not had as strong an impact as the school intended. This means that pupils' knowledge about wider world issues and life in modern Britain is not as deep as it is in other areas of the curriculum. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum taught enables pupils to develop stronger knowledge about life beyond the local area.

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