St Gabriel’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are exceptional ambassadors for St Gabriel's School. They shine in the many leadership roles they have.

Pupils are happy, active and responsible citizens.They live and breathe the school values. For example, they strive for excellence and treasure friendships.

Pupils are diligent and conscientious. They conduct themselves sensibly during playtimes and breaktimes. Pupils' attitudes to learning are positive.

Staff expect pupils to work hard and to achieve highly. Pupils respond well to these high expectations. This helps to ensure that most pupils learn well in different areas of the curriculum.

Pupils learn about democracy, the rule of law and ...equality. They raise funds for many worthy causes, including children's charities. Pupils also care about the community.

Recently, pupils helped to brighten up the local area by planting flower bulbs. They also gave thank you cards and gifts to local shop workers.

Pupils participate in the many enrichment activities available to them.

For instance, a group of pupils recently visited the Houses of Parliament. Pupils fondly recall visiting museums, theatres and art galleries, as well as a zoo and planetarium.

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

The school has created an ambitious, focused and logically ordered curriculum.

This is designed to meet the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), successfully.

The curriculum is delivered effectively by skilled, well-trained staff. Most pupils build on their knowledge as they move through the school.

However, at times, learning is not adapted well enough to enable pupils to build a deeper understanding of the topics that they study.

The early years curriculum is equally ambitious. There is a sharp emphasis on developing children's communication and language skills.

Even so, some aspects of the curriculum are not delivered well enough to help children learn all that they should in all areas of learning. For a few children, this hinders their readiness for Year 1.

Typically, teachers check pupils' understanding of their learning.

This means that, in most subjects, teachers have an accurate insight into what pupils know and where there are gaps in their learning. Teachers use this information well to help pupils overcome their learning deficits so that they can catch up with their peers.

There is a strong culture of reading in the school.

Pupils have a secure appreciation of the work of many popular children's writers. They enjoy reading. Children begin to learn to read from the start of the early years.

Children in the Nursery class enjoy a rich variety of songs, stories and nursery rhymes that set them up well for the phonics programme. In the Reception class, children gain a secure grasp of sounds and letters. The early reading and phonics curriculum is taught expertly by knowledgeable staff.

Staff ensure that pupils who find reading more difficult get the extra help that they need to catch up. Pupils become fluent and confident readers.

The school identifies pupils with SEND quickly.

Staff work with many different specialist partners, as well as parents and carers, to make sure that pupils get the tailored support that they need. Staff are careful to make sure that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their peers. This helps to ensure that pupils with SEND achieve well across the school.

Attendance is a high priority. The school has a range of effective strategies in place that help to support pupils to improve their attendance over time. Lessons are rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.

Pupils focus on what their teachers are saying. If pupils find it difficult to manage their own behaviour, they use different strategies to help them to maintain their focus.

Pupils participate in an extensive array of activities that support their personal development exceptionally well.

Pupils enjoy attending a wide range of clubs, including choir, coding, drama, science and crochet. Pupils are responsible and active citizens. They thrive as school council members, digital and sports leaders and anti-bullying ambassadors.

Pupils have an in-depth understanding of safe and appropriate personal relationships. They develop their talents in singing and playing various musical instruments, including the piano. Pupils have a strong understanding of cultural and religious diversity.

They have access to a well-being team and mental health experts. These experiences ensure that pupils are fully prepared for life in modern society.

The trust and the local governing body keep a watchful eye on the school's performance.

They support and challenge the school in equal measure. The trust makes sure that staff are trained well and have access to suitable resources to deliver the curriculum.

The school engages well with staff.

With the trust, it makes sure that staff's well-being and workload are considered when changes are introduced.

Parental engagement is strong. Parents enjoy participating in phonics and mathematics workshops.

They often come into the school to find out about their children's learning. Typically, parents are of the view that their children are happy, safe and achieving well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few areas of the curriculum, learning is not adapted well to enable some pupils to deepen their knowledge of the subjects that they are studying. This prevents them from learning all that they could. The school should ensure that the work that teachers give to pupils enables them to deepen their learning over time.

• Some aspects of the early years curriculum are not delivered as well as intended. This means that a few children do not learn all that they should across all areas of learning. The school should ensure that staff are suitably equipped to deliver the early years curriculum so that children are fully prepared for Year 1.

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