Gorran School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this welcoming school.

Across the school, relationships between staff and pupils are warm and nurturing. The school has high expectations. The 'ready, respect, safe' school rules are clear.

Pupils know and understand them well. As a result, they learn well and thrive.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.

At social times, pupils of all ages play together. Bullying, when it occurs, is dealt with swiftly. Pupils feel safe in and around the school.

Pupils are valued members of the local community.

The school offers a rich set of experiences. They include residential trips to the Isles of Scilly, par...ticipating in sports competitions and playing musical instruments.

In addition, pupils participate in a wide range of clubs that develop their interests and talents, for example sailing, football and netball.

All pupils have opportunities to learn how to swim in the school's swimming pool. The cycle track, built into the school grounds, provides an option for pupils to ride their bikes during the school day.

The school ensures that there are no barriers to all pupils gaining wider experiences.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the support that they and their children receive.

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

The school has recently adopted a new curriculum.

It is well sequenced and sets out the important knowledge the school wants pupils to know and remember. This starts in the early years, where the curriculum is designed to prepare children well for learning beyond Reception. For example, in mathematics, staff plan activities that develop children's language and knowledge of numbers and counting.

Children put their knowledge into practice. They use sand timers and create tally charts recording their work. Older pupils build on this knowledge.

Pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop a secure understanding of grouping numbers together.

The school recognises the importance of effective subject leadership. However, this is not yet fully developed.

The implementation of the curriculum is not checked for impact in sufficient depth. This means that in these subjects the school does not have a clear understanding of how well pupils are learning over time.

The school inspires pupils to develop a love of reading.

Children in Reception enjoy listening to stories. Most pupils learn to read quickly and are fluent readers by the time they reach Year 3. Outcomes in the phonics screening check are above the national average.

Children learn phonics from the beginning of the Reception Year. Staff regularly check pupils' understanding and identify any pupils who have gaps in their phonics knowledge. Those who fall behind are given extra help to catch up.

New arrivals to the school, including pupils who speak English as an additional language, learn phonics quickly and successfully. However, in a few instances, the books that pupils read are not as well matched to their phonics knowledge as they need to be. This makes it difficult for these pupils to practise using their phonics and to grow in confidence with their reading.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified quickly. The school ensures that pupils with SEND have learning targets that are regularly reviewed. Staff know pupils well, and this ensures pupils get extra support if they need it.

Although persistent absence for some groups of pupils has been high, the school has introduced systems to reduce this so that it is now improving.

Pupils are well prepared for life beyond primary school. Older pupils have a secure understanding of equality and tolerance.

They know why it is important to respect others from different faiths or cultures. Pupils explained to inspectors that it is good to be different. However, younger pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values is less secure.

Pupils learn to be active citizens when they raise money for charity, such as to help people affected by war. Years 5 and 6 pupils lead a lunchtime sports activities club, the 'huff and puff' club. They act as role models and successfully organise games for younger children at breaktimes.

Governors are committed to improving the school. They are dedicated and proud of the school. However, governors do not ask sufficiently probing questions of leaders.

As a result, they do not know enough about the quality of education the school provides for pupils.

Staff are committed and dedicated. They care deeply about the pupils and the community the school serves.

Generally, staff feel well supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The support for the weakest readers does not ensure they get ample practice in using phonics to develop their decoding and blending skills.

Some pupils read books that are not fully decodable. The school should ensure that support for the weakest readers is focused on building pupils' phonics knowledge so that they can read fluently and confidently. ? The school, including those responsible for governance, does not always have sufficient oversight of leaders' areas of responsibility.

This means that the school does not have a clear understanding of the impact of leaders' actions. Leaders are not held fully to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. The school, including those responsible for governance, needs to ensure it has full oversight of the impact of leaders' actions.

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