Gunter Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning at Gunter Primary School and are happy. Pupils understand the school's values and 'strive to succeed'.

The school helps pupils to make sensible behaviour choices. Adults are consistent in the approach they take to support pupils. Bullying is not tolerated and pupils know that adults always listen to any worries that they may have.

As a result, pupils feel safe and are kept safe at school. The school also stresses the importance of pupils attending every day. It works closely with families and other agencies to try and realise this ambition.

The school is ambitious for all pupils to do well. Pupils benefit from a typically well-designed c...urriculum offer. The school makes sure pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make strong progress through the curriculum.

The school places pupils' wider development at the heart of its curriculum. Pupils have many opportunities to take on positions of responsibility and contribute to life at the school. The 'Gunter crews' provide pupils with roles to help others.

For example, pupils can act as well-being, eco, gardening and sports crew members. The school now offers a range of clubs, including dance, book and young explorers. Pupils make full use of these opportunities.

There are regular trips for each year group, including visits to museums and taking part in geography fieldwork.

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

The school has worked successfully to develop an ambitious curriculum. In each subject, and in the early years, it has set out the knowledge that pupils need to secure.

The curriculum is well ordered so that pupils build their understanding over time. For example, in art and design, younger pupils learn to use pencil techniques to create texture. Older pupils then attempt to use shading to create a 3D effect.

Pupils learn ways to draw and represent their work and thoughts in sketch books.

The school has rightly prioritised early reading. Staff are well trained and implement the school's chosen phonics programme with precision.

Pupils practise reading using books that are closely matched to the sounds they know. Pupils who need help to catch up with their peers or who arrive at different points in the school year are given the support that they need. The impact of pupil movement at different points in the year affects the school's published outcomes.

This published data does not reflect the quality of education that current pupils enjoy.

Pupils develop a love of reading through the high-quality stories that adults read to them. They enjoy the wide range of books available to them in the mobile library and the special suitcase of books from which they can choose.

This is helping more pupils to become confident readers. In early years, the school makes effective use of story to develop children's early language. This is helping children who are reluctant to talk to develop their speaking skills.

The school has ensured that all pupils, including those with SEND, access a broad and ambitious curriculum. Pupils with SEND are swiftly identified and well supported to access the curriculum and extra-curricular offer. Staff are trained to adapt their delivery of the curriculum appropriately for pupils with more complex needs.

This helps to ensure these pupils are well supported to progress through the curriculum from their different starting points.

Teachers' checks on how well pupils know more and remember more are generally used well. However, on occasions, pupils' work is not sufficiently checked.

In some subjects, the school does not have a clear understanding of the important pre-skills pupils need to progress well through the curriculum. This reduces the impact of the ambition that leaders have for the school's curriculum.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.

This is because expectations and routines are well established. Leaders provide additional support for pupils who need extra help to make the best social choices. This helps pupils to successfully regulate their behaviour and access the curriculum.

The school has identified attendance as a continuing priority. It has established rigorous systems and works closely with families, for example developing effective routines to help pupils come to school. As a result, families are supported and challenged to ensure their child attends regularly.

Work to promote pupils' personal development is threaded exceptionally well throughout all learning. The school identifies topics, values and themes that are meaningful and relevant to pupils' lives and within the wider school community. For example, pupils have extra sessions on how to manage mental health and consider how to collaborate and work with determination.

Pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep safe. This includes when online or when in the real world. Pupils relish a rich set of experiences and take on additional responsibility well, for example growing potatoes then cooking and selling the produce for charity.

Pupils appreciate these extra tasks. The variety of clubs, trips and residential stays enhance pupils' enjoyment outside of the classroom.

Governors have a secure understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for improvement.

Staff, including those at an early stage of their career, appreciate the consideration given by leaders to their workload. Leaders carefully check on staff well-being, they engage all adults in gathering their views on how leaders can help, and staff feel fully supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not ensured that pupils' understanding is consistently checked in sufficient detail. In these instances, pupils do not secure the important knowledge they need to progress through the curriculum and achieve well. The school should ensure that assessment is used consistently to pinpoint gaps in pupils' knowledge and to amend the curriculum sequence accordingly to ensure that pupils build a deep understanding of the curriculum over time.

• A significant number of pupils are absent or persistently absent from school. This impacts on how well they learn and slows their progress. The school should continue to review how they work with parents and other agencies to tackle pupils' poor attendance.

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