Goostrey Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to be members of this welcoming school community. They get on well with each other, and enjoy socialising with their friends.

Pupils said that kind and supportive staff help them to feel safe.

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They are motivated to do their best because leaders have high expectations of what they can achieve.

Pupils are polite, confident and considerate. They behave well whether they are playing or learning. This means that pupils can get on with their work without disruption.

Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone with respect, regardless of their differences. They said that they would not... stand by if someone else was being treated unfairly.

Pupils said that if they had any worries, including about bullying, they would feel comfortable about talking to any member of staff, who would do their best to help them.

Pupils value the wide range of opportunities they have to pursue their interests and talents. Pupils spoke proudly of their sporting achievements and of the annual whole-school exhibition that is a celebration of their learning.

Parents and carers hold the school in high regard.

They appreciate the information they receive from school leaders about their children's progress.

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

Leaders have designed the curriculum to ensure that it is interesting, broad and ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils, including children in the early years, to learn.

They have ordered this knowledge carefully so that pupils progress well through the curriculum, knowing and remembering more over time. Consequently, pupils achieve well in a wide range of subjects.

Most subject leaders have strong curriculum expertise.

They provide clear guidance for teachers on how to recap on pupils' prior knowledge before introducing new content. Pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from regular opportunities to reinforce and secure their learning. This helps pupils to remember what they have learned, and to deepen their understanding.

That said, a few subject leaders do not provide sufficient guidance for teachers on how to deliver the curriculums effectively. On occasion, teachers do not use assessment strategies well to check that pupils' learning is secure before moving on to new concepts. This means that gaps in pupils' prior knowledge, including some misconceptions, are sometimes not addressed effectively by teachers.

Through their enthusiasm and warm encouragement, staff ensure that children settle quickly in the Reception class. Children are happy and secure in their environment. They generously share ideas and resources with their friends.

Pupils are eager to talk about the knowledge they have acquired and take great pride in the presentation of their work. Pupils' positive attitudes to their learning mean that teachers can focus on delivering the intended curriculum.

Leaders have placed importance on teaching pupils how to read well.

Older pupils enjoy reading independently and are enthusiastic about the books their teachers read to them in class. Pupils are familiar with a range of authors and are keen to discuss their favourite books.

Children in the early years learn how to recognise sounds and letters as soon as they start in the Reception class.

Pupils practise to read, write and spell using their phonic knowledge in daily lessons. Teachers check regularly on how well pupils are learning to read, and put appropriate support in place for those pupils who fall behind. Consequently, almost all pupils learn to read fluently and accurately by the end of Year 2.

However, on occasion, some pupils are given books to read which are too difficult. This means that these pupils do not gain confidence and fluency in reading as soon as they should.

Leaders ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified early.

Teachers deploy a range of approaches to ensure that pupils with SEND access the full curriculum and achieve well. Pupils are also ably supported by well-trained teaching assistants when necessary.

Leaders adopt creative approaches to widen pupils' horizons and understanding beyond the classroom.

Strong links have been established with a school in South Africa, which helps pupils to gain an insight into the diversity of the world. Pupils in Year 1 were excited to showcase their own natural history museum, and spoke with maturity about their interest in nature and looking after the planet.

Governors are dedicated in their roles, and are proud of the school's achievements.

However, they are not sufficiently informed about some aspects of the school's curriculum to be able to check its effectiveness.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They said that leaders and governors are considerate of their workload and place importance on their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular safeguarding training, so they can stay alert to the signs which could indicate that pupils are at risk of harm, including from peer-on-peer abuse.

Leaders have established clear systems so that any safeguarding concerns can be acted upon promptly.

They work with a range of outside agencies to provide the help that vulnerable pupils and their families need.

The curriculum provides many opportunities for pupils to learn about keeping themselves safe, including when online. Pupils have benefited from workshops to learn about the important features of healthy relationships, such as consent.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In one or two subjects, leaders have not provided enough guidance and support to help teachers to deliver the curriculums effectively, especially in the use of assessment. This prevents pupils from learning as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers receive the support and training required to deliver the intended curriculums consistently well.

• On occasion, the books that pupils use to practise their reading are not matched well to their phonics knowledge. This means that pupils, especially those who need to catch up, find these books too difficult to read. Leaders should ensure that the books pupils read are matched to their phonics knowledge so that they can read with confidence and fluency.

• Governors are insufficiently informed about some aspects of the school's curriculum. This means that they are unable to challenge leaders about the quality of education for pupils as effectively as possible. Members of the governing body should ensure that they are better informed about the curriculum, so that they can provide informed support and challenge for school leaders.

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