Gordon Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Friendships, positive relationships and kindness are encouraged by leaders. Pupil 'friendship ambassadors' know their role and receive training on how to help their peers join in with games and make friends. All pupils are taught about being respectful and welcoming to everyone.

Children in the early years and older pupils work and play alongside each other well.

Pupils learn without interruption because classrooms are calm and orderly. Children in the early years settle quickly, and routines are established as soon as they join the school.

Pupils behave well and are engaged in their lessons. They have positive attitudes to learning and want to do well.
<...br/>The school develops pupils' talents and interests.

The school has a strong focus on music. Pupils learn to play a range of instruments, such as the flute, trombone and violin. Pupils perform in bands and in the school choir.

The school gets to know pupils and their families well, with one parent/carer summing up the views of many by saying, 'The school has a great sense of community. It fosters inclusivity and kindness, as well as personal and academic achievement.'

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

The school's curriculum is well thought through.

Most subjects match the expectations of the national curriculum, and in some subjects, such as music, the curriculum exceeds those expectations. Subject leaders identify the exact knowledge they want pupils to learn, including by when. Teachers commented that this has helped with their workload.

The governing body uses a range of information to check and understand the quality of the school's work, as well as to challenge and hold leaders to account.

Typically, teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. They clearly explain content to pupils.

Mostly, pupils have opportunities to revisit and practise prior learning, and teachers check pupils' understanding. Sometimes, where the intended subject content is not delivered according to leaders' thinking, pupils develop gaps in their knowledge. When this occurs, pupils' knowledge and skills are not built up as securely over time, and checks on pupils' understanding and the identification of any gaps and misconceptions are not as routine.

The school has embedded a systematic approach to teaching pupils to read. Reading is prioritised, and pupils have opportunities to read regularly. Pupils' reading and understanding are checked methodically, which helps teachers to identify pupils who may be struggling.

Generally, pupils who need extra support are helped to catch up and keep up. Sometimes, when listening to pupils read, staff do not follow as consistent an approach to supporting weaker readers, for example by reading words for pupils that pupils struggle to read. This limits the amount of practice pupils receive for using phonics to sound out unfamiliar words.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) swiftly and robustly. Leaders work with a range of professionals to make sure the right support is in place. This support is reviewed regularly, and changes are made if needed.

Pupils and children in the early years with SEND are included in all aspects of the school and learn alongside their peers.

The school's personal development programme prepares pupils for their future lives in modern Britain. Pupils take on different roles and responsibilities across the school, including being part of the school council, the eco-team or as junior 'travel ambassadors'.

They discuss ways that the school can improve and come up with ideas to enable it to do so. As a result, they have contributed to projects including growing their own vegetables and encouraging more pupils to walk or cycle to school.

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' attendance rates.

They ensure that all parents are aware of the impact on pupils' academic and personal achievement of regular attendance at school. They make clear how regular attendance supports pupils to know and remember more. As a result, children in the early years and older pupils attend school regularly.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, where teaching does not follow the curriculum as leaders intend, pupils are not helped as routinely to know and remember more. The school should ensure that all subjects are taught in line with leaders' curriculum thinking so that pupils' component and disciplinary knowledge and skills build progressively, ensuring that pupils know, can do, and remember more over time.

• Occasionally, the school does not ensure that staff follow a consistent approach to helping weaker readers to learn to read. When the school does not routinely encourage pupils to sound out and blend words in order to decode them, the impact of pupils' reading practice is limited. The school should make sure that all staff follow a consistent approach to supporting pupils who are learning to read so that all pupils build up fluency and confidence swiftly.