Gulworthy Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school because: All pupils, including those in receipt of pupil premium support and those with special educational needs, greatly enjoy school and achieve exceedingly well. Teachers ensure that the pupils' personal development, especially their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding, is promoted just as strongly as literacy and numeracy skills. The school has sustained high standards in national assessments for several years.

Pupils in all parts of the school continue to show well-above-average attainment in their responses in lessons and recorded work. Teaching is outstanding because learning activities are matched very closely to p...upils' interests, needs and abilities. All teachers and their talented assistants question the pupils very effectively.

Pupils are keen to do well at school, readily give of their best and share ideas very willingly to help each other to learn. Pupils make excellent progress, especially in developing and using their speaking and listening and reading skills by working closely with other pupils. Pupils' perceptive thoughts about how to improve are valued and fully examined during discussions, though are not always written down or used as successfully to support pupils' own investigations.

All pupils are treated equally and benefit from high-quality care. Consequently, they feel very safe and their behaviour is exemplary. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive and, as pupils and staff, some commented, 'We are proud to be associated with Gulworthy School.'

The executive headteacher sustains high aspirations. She leads a dedicated staff team who, with full support from a very capable governing body, continue the strong drive to help all pupils achieve their full potential.

Information about this school

This school is below average in size.

Most pupils attending the school are of White British heritage. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by school action is below average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above the national average.

The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is below average. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught within a combined Reception and Years 1 and 2 class. The two other classes in the school are mixed-age classes.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. In January 2012, the school joined with Lamerton Church of England Primary School to form a federation of schools with one governing body. At the beginning of this autumn term, the headteacher of Gulworthy Primary School became an executive headteacher, sharing her duties equally across both schools.