Gresham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. Children in the early years settle quickly. They work and play alongside one another well.

Pupils help one another, and they are kind and respectful.

Classrooms, including in early years, are calm places. Pupils' learning proceeds mostly without interruption.

Pupils behave well because they know what is expected of them. Leaders make sure that routines are established as soon as children join the school. Pupils are safe and are ready to learn.

The school enriches pupils' personal development in many ways. Pupils readily take on responsibilities to help others, such as becoming a 'bistro buddy' or an 'office monitor'. ...Leaders organise a breadth of wider learning opportunities.

Pupils represent the school, for example, competing in a range of competitions in sports and dance. They take part in performances in and outside school. In Year 6, pupils go on a residential stay to an activity centre.

Pupils, staff, governors, parents and carers are proud to be a part of this school community. One parent typically commented: 'There is a real sense of community at this school. My children are happy, well supported and enjoy the learning environment.'

Staff get to know pupils and their families well and build positive working relationships.

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

The school has ambitious intentions for the curriculum. Leaders have constructed the curriculum to help pupils to be ready for their future steps in education.

Curriculum thinking in many subjects identifies the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and sequences the order in which it should be taught so that pupils' knowledge builds cumulatively. Subject content builds in complexity year on year too. Leaders support staff to manage their workload.

They thoughtfully consider staff's well-being, so staff feel valued.

Generally, the delivery of the curriculum enables pupils to do more, know more and remember more over time. Typically, teachers ensure that pupils have regular opportunities to recall, revise and practise prior learning because they know the essential knowledge that leaders intend pupils to learn.

Sometimes, the curriculum is not delivered as clearly when teachers' subject expertise is not as secure. As a consequence, there are gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding.

Reading is prioritised throughout the school and there are many opportunities for pupils to read.

Leaders have introduced a new systematic phonics programme. Staff are well trained to teach early reading. Leaders identify any pupils who fall behind.

Pupils who need extra help with reading are given the support that they need to catch up and keep up. Teachers read aloud to pupils every day.Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from all that the school has to offer.

Mostly, adaptations to the teaching, support and resources for pupils with SEND are made based on pupils' personalised targets. Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers and learn alongside them. Occasionally, adaptations are not tailored precisely enough to the needs of pupils with SEND.

The school's personal, social and health education and wider curriculum prepare pupils effectively for life in modern Britain. Pupils are taught to be respectful and welcoming to everybody. They are encouraged to think about their own mental health and well-being.

Pupils are taught about healthy and unhealthy relationships and how to keep themselves safe.

Leaders make sure that pupils have access to rich and engaging experiences. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures throughout the curriculum.

They visit places of worship to deepen their learning. Leaders ensure that there is a wide range of clubs that develop pupils' interests and nurture their talents, including cross-country running, hockey, netball, choir and learning to play a musical instrument, such as the violin or guitar.

Pupils and children in the early years attend school very regularly.

Leaders work in successful partnership with parents. They make clear the value of attending school every day and the positive impact that this has on pupils' learning.

The governing body knows the school well.

Members visit the school regularly to check the quality of the school's work. They use a wide range of information to hold leaders to account.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, the curriculum is not delivered clearly when teachers' subject expertise is not secure. As a consequence, there are gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding. The school should ensure that all teachers and leaders have subject confidence to deliver key content and check routinely what pupils know, remember and can do.

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