Gorsley Goffs Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this caring and friendly school.

They are polite, courteous, and welcoming to visitors. The relationships between staff and pupils are very warm. Staff know their pupils well and this gives pupils the confidence to speak to them about their aspirations, as well as any concerns they may have.

There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in and around the school. Pupils are engaged in lessons and are keen to contribute their ideas and thoughts during class discussions. Staff have high expectations and pupils live up to these.

The schools' values of 'be ready, be respectful, be safe' are reflected in pupils' behaviour. Pupils are happy and feel s...afe. They say that if any bullying happened, they would report it because they know it would be dealt with.

Leaders have the pupils' best interests at the heart of all they do. They want pupils to do well academically and beyond. There are many extra-curricular activities for pupils to take part in.

These include choir, football and chess. Many pupils participate in these clubs. They are particularly well attended by pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

Children in Reception prosper from the day they join. The relationships between staff and children are delightful. The curriculum is well sequenced, ambitious and adapted to keep up with the children's interests.

For example, the topic of dinosaurs was recently added to the curriculum. Children are read to often and practise using numbers frequently. Staff use a vast range of activities to keep children motivated and engaged.

All of this means that children, including those with SEND, are well prepared for their next steps into Year 1.

In the rest of the school, teachers use a wide range of strategies to help pupils remember what they learn. These include crafts, rhymes and songs.

Lessons are planned to build on what pupils already know, and teachers create many opportunities in lessons to check pupils' understanding. However, these opportunities sometimes do not focus on all pupils. This means that some pupils retain misconceptions and gaps in knowledge for longer than necessary.

Some parts of the curriculum have not been adapted consistently to meet the needs of some pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils do not do as well as they might.

Reading is promoted well throughout the school.

Pupils develop a love of reading. Many pupils access the school library, and all pupils take a book home to read. Pupils who have fallen behind with their reading get the support they need.

These pupils read with confidence and are quickly catching up. The teaching of phonics and early reading is a strength of the school. Books are well matched to the sounds pupils know.

When pupils come across an unfamiliar word, they use sounds and blending to help them read it. This is done exceptionally well in Reception.

The personal development curriculum is exemplary.

From as early as Reception, children are taught about healthy relationships, growing up, healthy eating and British values. As pupils progress through the school, their knowledge of these topics increases. Leaders have gone beyond the expected to ensure that pupils receive a wide rich set of experiences.

All pupils benefit from these, including those with SEND. Pupils learn about different religions and different types of families. They treat everyone with respect.

Pupils behave well in and out of lessons. On rare occasions when pupils' behaviour falls short of the required expectations, staff quickly help them to focus again. As a result, most pupils learn how to regulate their own behaviour.

Pupils are happy at school, and this is reflected in the school's high attendance. They are punctual and arrive to school with positive attitudes to learning.

Leaders have created a school where staff feel valued and cared for.

Staff enjoy working at the school. Leaders and those responsible for governance have worked relentlessly to get the school to where it is. They are aware of what needs to be done to make the school even better.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have embedded a culture of safeguarding across the school. Staff know their pupils well and are quick to report any concerns they may have.

These are acted upon quickly and effectively. Pupils know how to keep themselves and others safe when online and offline. They know who to speak to if they have any worries.

Leaders have carried out appropriate employment checks on staff to ensure they are suitable to work in a school. Staff receive regular safeguarding training and updates. These include any issues that arise in the local area.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers do not consistently check that all pupils have understood the work before introducing new learning. This means that, at times, misconceptions and gaps in knowledge widen. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment effectively to help pupils embed and use knowledge fluently, and to check understanding in order to inform teaching.

• The curriculum is not consistently adapted to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils with SEND do not understand the work as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum so that they make good progress with their learning over time.