Great Coates Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school's work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection.

The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

The principal of this school is Emma Emson. This school is part of Harbour Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Richard Briggs, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Christopher Cherry.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Great Coates Primary School embody the school's motto of 'success and happ...iness for all'. They are enthusiastic about learning and display a thirst for knowledge.

Pupils collaborate with their peers very well. Pupils develop their character through the presentations they prepare regularly for their peers. In Year 6, pupils proudly deliver a whole-school assembly.

They do this with confidence and clarity.

The school has exceptionally high expectations for pupils' achievement and behaviour. Pupils achieve extremely high outcomes across all areas and at the end of key stage 2.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils who make excellent progress in all aspects of their education here.

In Nursery and Reception, children learn routines quickly. This helps them to settle well into school life.

Pupils' behaviour across the school is exemplary. They are polite and courteous to each other, the adults in the building and visitors to the school.

Pupils develop a deep appreciation of protected characteristics and fundamental British values.

They understand these help to promote equality and diversity. Pupils are happy here and are proud of their school.

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

The school has created an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with SEND.

It has defined clearly the important knowledge pupils need to know. This is meticulously sequenced to build pupils' understanding over time. Teachers deliver the curriculum consistently, meeting the school's high expectations.

They check pupils' learning often and correct any misconceptions promptly. As a result, pupils have an exceptional understanding of the themes they study in the curriculum.

Reading is at the heart of the school.

Across the curriculum, teachers use books and texts to guide and promote learning in all areas. They read to pupils daily. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their favourite class reads such as 'Planet Omar'.

They read for pleasure at home and take pride when recording this in their reading diaries.

Children begin to learn phonics straight away in Reception. Staff are experts in the delivery of phonics.

The school swiftly identifies any pupil who is struggling to keep up with the phonics programme. Effective support ensures that these pupils quickly catch up and become fluent readers.

In the early years, children interact with each other and the adults around them extremely positively.

In Nursery, children take part in pre-phonics activities, for example learning songs and rhymes. In Reception, children engage eagerly in their learning. They answer questions confidently and extend their learning through mature use of the inside and outside areas.

Pupils are well prepared for learning in key stage 1.

The school offers excellent support for pupils with SEND. It identifies the needs of these pupils effectively.

Staff receive training to provide well-considered support so pupils with SEND can access the curriculum successfully. This support is applied consistently well across the school. In some cases, the school goes above and beyond the expected to provide high-quality, tailored support.

This support is extremely effective. As a result, pupils with SEND are thriving.

The school has rigorous systems in place to keep attendance high.

It has implemented innovative methods to keep attendance high profile. For example, the attendance mascot 'Harold' regularly hands out rewards to pupils and posts updates for parents on social media. A traffic light system indicates individual class attendance each day.

Some of these strategies have also been rolled out to other schools in the trust. As a result, attendance is high and is improving over time.

The school holds an annual careers fair.

This allows pupils in upper key stage 2 to investigate future education and careers options. Pupils have opportunities to become leaders in a variety of different roles. For instance, sports leaders deliver games for younger pupils at lunchtime, and digital leaders help plan an e-safety day.

Pupils attend a wide range of extra-curricular activities such as choir, sports, yoga and film clubs. The choir perform a Christmas concert to a local care home.

School leaders work tirelessly to improve the school at every opportunity.

The school provides high-quality professional development and training. Staff appreciate the support they receive to reduce workload. They feel valued and enjoy working at the school.

Trustees and the local academy council have a strong oversight of the school. They challenge and support school leaders to provide the best education possible for their pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2019.