Gosford Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud to attend this school. The school's motto is 'One community.

Many cultures. Growing and learning together'. This was explained by one pupil as, 'we all come from everywhere but we are all friends'.

Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and trusting. Pupils say they feel safe because staff listen to them and take action. As a result, pupils enjoy coming to school and they behave well.

Pupils understand about different types of bullying. They say that bullying rarely happens, and if it does, staff sort it out quickly.

The quality of education is not yet good enough.

In the last year, leaders' actions have led to... improvements. However, pupils' progress is not as good as it needs to be. For some, their attendance also remains too low.

Leaders, including governors, are aware that there is more work to do.

Older pupils enjoy taking on extra responsibilities, including organising games and activities at lunchtimes. They talk proudly about knowing how to spend money wisely.

Pupils understand the need to keep physically and mentally healthy.

Well-planned assemblies, lessons and trips ensure that pupils are aware of the diverse world in which they live. Recent visitors, including a Paralympian, have supported this.

Pupils enjoy attending the gaming and cooking clubs.

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

Since her appointment, the headteacher and her leadership team have identified the most important actions that need to take place to make the improvements that are needed. Senior leaders have worked to gain parent, pupil and staff support to ensure that things are moving in the right direction.

Governors are aware of the important changes that have taken place recently across the curriculum. However, they do not have a secure understanding of their role. This means they have not checked well enough that the school fulfils all its duties.

Leaders have started to improve the quality of education. They have developed a broad and balanced curriculum. All leaders now share an ambition for every child to receive the very best education.

They have planned and implemented a curriculum in all subjects. However, in most subjects, this is very new. As the curriculum is delivered, leaders are modifying the essential knowledge for pupils to learn.

Senior leaders work closely with subject leaders to support teachers to deliver the curriculum with increasing consistency, but know that there is more work to be done. Staff have received training across the curriculum. However, senior leaders have not yet had the time to ensure all subject leaders have the knowledge they need to check how well their curriculum is being delivered.

Children in the early years enjoy learning. Leaders have ensured that staff have received the right training to support children to learn and explore confidently.As a result, children behave well and enjoy writing, counting and talking together.

The new early years leader has a clear vision of what she wants pupils to achieve by the time they leave Reception. However, similarly to the rest of the school, the curriculum is very new and the essential knowledge that leaders want children to learn has not yet been mapped out in enough detail.

Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading.

They have provided staff with appropriate training and clear guidance about the order and the way phonics must be delivered. This means that teachers have the confidence and expertise to deliver the phonics curriculum well. Pupils learn to read new sounds in nursery ready for when they start in Reception.

They read books that match the sounds they are learning. Pupils who need to catch up get the right support. They enjoy reading and taking books home.

Older readers particularly enjoy books that help them in their learning, for example books about Anglo-Saxon history.

Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive support that is wide ranging and well matched to their needs. Leaders have recently developed 'the Bridge', in the school that offers some well-targeted support for pupils with more complex needs when they need it.

Pupils value this support.

Pupils are welcoming, polite and very eager to share their learning. They behave well and learning is rarely disrupted.

Staff help pupils to sort out any arguments they have. Leaders have secure systems to monitor pupils' attendance and challenge any persistent absence. However, some pupils still miss too much of their education because they do not attend school regularly enough.

Leaders have highly positive professional relationships with staff. Staff, in turn, are highly supportive. They believe that leaders are considerate of their well-being and take their workload into account.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders understand how best to support their pupils. They know the school community very well.

Weekly meetings help leaders to plan the best support for pupils. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained. This means that staff take action if they have concerns about a pupil.

Leaders respond quickly, involving other agencies if needed to provide the right support. However, leaders, including governors, are not always clear about what information to record and where to record it. This means that sometimes important information is not recorded or shared as well as it should be.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Governors do not fully understand their role. This means that they do not check as well as they should how leaders are managing aspects of the school. Governors should ensure they access the right information, training and/or support to help them understand how best to support and challenge school leaders and put this into practice in their work.

• Safeguarding systems are not used as effectively or accurately as they should be. This means that information is not always recorded sufficiently well. Leaders, including governors, should ensure that they have the right training to help them check that systems are used well to record and share important information.

• In most foundation subjects and in the early years, curriculum planning is new and not as precise as it should be. This means that teachers are not clear enough about what pupils need to learn and when. Leaders should ensure that all curriculum planning is well sequenced in order to help teachers to plan the next steps in learning that pupils need, so that pupils know more and remember more.

• Curriculum leadership is in the early stages of development in many subjects. Leaders have not yet had an opportunity to check how well their subjects are being implemented. Senior leaders should continue to support leaders to develop the knowledge and expertise to check the impact of the curriculum on pupils' learning.

• Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that these pupils miss too much learning. Leaders should embed their strategies and work closely with parents to improve attendance so that pupils can learn as well as they should.