Guildford Grove Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The school is very welcoming and caring and pupils are happy to attend. They are proud of their school, have very positive attitudes and develop a love of learning.

Achievement is good. Pupils make good and improving progress from starting points that are well below expectations for their ages when they start at school. All groups of pupils achieve well, including pupils who benefit from the pupil premium, disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and pupils in The Lighthouse.

Children get a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and thrive in a caring and stimulating environment. Teaching is good. Teachers plan inter...esting and stimulating lessons that motivate pupils who work hard and want to do well.

Teachers have very good relationships with pupils. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. The school works outstandingly well to ensure that pupils feel safe and secure.

The headteacher's leadership is highly effective and inspires pupils, teachers, parents and carers to want to do their best. Senior leaders check the school's work thoroughly and improve teaching where weaknesses are identified, to ensure pupils achieve well. The governing body supports leaders well and holds them to account for the school's performance.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Opportunities for writing at length are not always planned for across a range of subjects. There is not enough outstanding teaching to ensure pupils' attainment is higher. Too few pupils who have the potential to do so attain the higher levels at the end of Year 2 and Year 6.

Pupils in Year 1 do not make fast enough progress in developing their phonic skills (linking sounds and letters). Pupils in Year 2 do not always read well enough to make sense of what they are reading. Pupils are not always clear about the purpose of their learning in mathematics.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average.

The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is almost double the national average. The school has a specialist centre, known as The Lighthouse, for pupils who are profoundly deaf and in some cases have additional complex needs. There are currently 12 pupils who spend half of their time in The Lighthouse and half of their time integrated into other classes in the school.

The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives additional funding (the pupil premium), which is additional funding for those known to be eligible for free school meals, or who are in the care of the local authority or are children from service families, is considerably higher than found nationally. There are currently no pupils from service families. The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

The school makes provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage in an integrated unit for Nursery and Reception children. There is a children's centre on the school site, which is managed by the school but was not included in this inspection. The school provides a daily breakfast club.

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