Gosford Park Primary School

Gosford Park Primary School Humber Avenue, Coventry, CV1 2SF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils’ achivement is good overall and most make good progress.  From low starting points, pupils attain average standards by the end of Year 6.  Teaching and learning are good, with examples of outstanding practice.  Most teachers convey high expectations and set ppupils challenging tasks which are well suited to their abilities.  Skilful questioning and demonstrations by teachers promote leaning well.  Pupils are enthusistic learners and they are well behaved. In some lessons, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are exemplary.  Pupils feel safe and very well cared for at school.  Pupils respect and value different cultures and faiths.  Leaders and managers have successfully improved teaching and raised pupils’ achievement.  Good improvements have been made since the previous inspection.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a few lessons, teachers do not set hard enough work, especially for the more able.  Pupils do not always have sufficient opportunities to learn independently.  Although children in Nursery and Reception are making good progress in personal, social and physical development, their progress is not as good in other areas.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out with half a day’s notice.  The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 30 lessons or part lessons.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, staff, and representatives from the local authority, members of the governing body, parents and pupils.  The inspector took account of the 32 responses to the online survey (Parent View) in planning the inspection.  School policies, information about pupils’ attainment and progress, teachers’ plans, pupils’ work and school improvement planning were examined.  The inspectors analysed 47 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Derek Watts, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Aileen King Additional Inspector Rosemry Barnfield Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Gosford Park is a much larger than average-sized primary school.  Nearly half of the pupils are White British. Other pupils come from a range of other backgrounds with any other White background, African and Indian being the next largest ethnic groups.  Just under two thirds of the pupil population speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average, but the proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  A much higher than average proportion of the pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils who join and leave the school at different points in the school year is

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Information about this school

higher than average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of outstanding teaching and ensure that all teaching is at least good by making sure that:  teachers always set suitably challenging tasks for pupils, particularly the more able.  pupils have appropriate opportunities to learn independently and to plan and decide how to present their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and the curriculum in Nursery and Reception so that children make at least good progress in all areas, especially in communication and language, by ensuring that:  all activities contribute to promoting children’s language development  all activities are purposeful and promote the development of children’s knowledge and skills. the resources for learning outside the classroom are improved.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 By the end of Year 6, attainment is broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. This represents good progress in relation to pupils’ generally below-average starting points. Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 make good progress because of good teaching and a well-planned range of subjects and activities.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress. New arrivals with little knowledge of English receive effective support so that they can settle quickly and achieve well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are disabled and those who have special educational needs make good progress because of the specific guidance and support that they receive. Effective use is made of additional funding to teach and support the many pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium. The well-planned and specific literacy and numeracy programmes contribute to these pupils’ good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Occasionally, the more able pupils are not fully challenged and extended because they are set tasks that are too easy and which do not help them to build sufficiently on previous learning. While an average proportion attain the higher than expected levels in writing, this is not the case in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are developing well because they have good opportunities to discuss their learning with others and express their ideas. By Year 6, most pupils are articulate and confident speakers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enjoy reading and make good progress. The regular and systematic teaching of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) helps to ensure that pupils acquire essential reading skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The drive to improve writing has been successful. Pupils write for a range of purposes and in different styles. Their writing is often imaginative and interesting. Pupils are making good progress in developing their grammar, punctuation and spelling.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in mathematics. They acquire a good knowledge and understanding of mathematical operations. Pupils use and apply their numeracy skills well to solve problems.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start in the Nursery with knowledge, understanding and skills below those expected for their age. Language and communication skills are often particularly low. Children make good progress in their personal and social development. They also make good progress in physical development but progress in slower in other areas. This is because opportunities to develop communication and language skills are missed and activities are not always well matched to children’s needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good overall. There are examples of outstanding practice. The better teaching has had a positive impact on pupils’ achievement.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most parents who completed the online survey stated that their children were well taught. Pupils told inspectors, ‘Teachers help you’, ‘They teach us new things’ and ‘Teachers explain things well.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teachers set clear learning intentions for lessons and share these with the class and so pupils know what they are expected to learn. Some activities in Nursery and Reception lack purpose and do not sufficiently promote children’s learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Essential reading skills are taught through a well-structured programme. Most teachers take every opportunity to promote speaking and listening skills but this is not always the case in Nursery and Reception. Opportunities are missed for adults to promote language skills through modelling speech and asking questions.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a highly effective Year 1 lesson, pupils made rapid progress in their writing. They were inspired by the teacher’s infectious enthusiasm and inspirational approach. They responded exceptionally well to her high expectations and her excellent demonstration of how to construct interesting sentences. The teacher’s skilful questioning explored the pupils’ ideas and checked their understanding. Pupils were fully engaged, productive and created imaginative sentences.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In an outstanding Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils benefited from the teacher’s high-quality explanations. Expectations and the pace of learning were high. Tasks were challenging and well matched to pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils made outstanding progress in solving problems using different multiplication strategies. They explained their methods with confidence and answered the teacher’s probing questions very well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the main, teachers make good use of the information they have about how well pupils are doing to plan their teaching and to match tasks to pupils’ different abilities and needs. As a result, pupils are suitably challenged and they make good progress in acquiring knowledge and deepening their understanding. At times, tasks are too easy to challenge and extend the mare able. In a few lessons, pupils’ learning is overly directed by the teacher and so pupils do not always get the chance to plan and organise their own work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the best lessons, pupils have good opportunities to assess they own learning against the learning intentions and the ‘steps to success’ that the teacher sets out. Teachers provide constructive feedback on pupils’ performance to help move them on.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Learning resources are usually carefully selected to promote learning. However, some of the equipment and learning resources in Nursery and Reception, particularly outside are tired, worn and in need of replacement. For example, storage units are damaged and the playhouse is in disrepair.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The marking of pupils’ work contributes to pupils’ good progress. Good work is acknowledged and praised, and constructive comments guide improvement. Pupils told inspectors that they find the marking very helpful.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Almost all of the parents who responded to the online survey agreed that pupils feel safe at school, that they are well looked after and that the school makes sure that pupils are well behaved. These positive views reflect the findings of the inspection. Pupils feel safe at school and very well cared for by staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage have settled well into the school. They feel safe, relate well to others. They share learning resources and behave well.  Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 show a keen interest in their learning. Their behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. Records of incidents show that behaviour is typically good over time. Pupils informed inspectors that behaviour is good and sometimes excellent. This proved to be an accurate view as, in a number of lessons, pupils demonstrated considerable enthusiasm for learning and their behaviour was exemplary.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils show considerable care and respect for others. The different cultures and faiths within the school are appreciated, celebrated and respected. As one older pupil perceptively remarked, ‘This is a good school because everyone is different in their own way and that’s what makes it special.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils show a good understanding of different forms of bullying, including persistent name- calling and cyber-bullying. They know the steps to take to deal with bullying should it occur. There are effective procedures for dealing with misbehaviour, including bullying. Pupils told inspectors that bullying in the school is very rare. They were confident that the school deals with it.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 A range of measures have been taken to raise attendance from previously low levels. These have proven successful, and attendance is now closer to the national average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leaders are firmly focused on raising pupils’ achievement and improving teaching. Staff share the ambition of continuous improvement conveyed by leaders. Since the previous inspection, pupils’ achievement, teaching and pupils’ behaviour have improved from satisfactory to good.

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The leadership and management are good

 Through accurate and thorough self-evaluation, school leaders and staff have a good understanding of the school’s performance. The findings are used successfully to plan and bring about further improvements.

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The leadership and management are good

 Good emphasis is placed on strengthening teaching. More accurate systems for assessing and monitoring pupils’ attainment have been introduced. Staff make good use of the information they have of how well pupils are doing to plan their teaching. The appraisal of staff performance, well-planned training and the sharing of good practice have all contributed to improvements in teaching. Performance management is well linked to pupils’ progress. Senior leaders’ monitoring of teaching is accurate. New teachers, especially those new to the profession, receive good mentoring and support.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is broad and balanced in the range of subjects taught. It is made interesting and enables pupils to achieve well. Pupils particularly enjoy the range of educational visits. Leaders have taken effective steps to improve the teaching of reading and writing. The increase in opportunities for pupils to apply their numeracy skills in practical problem solving is having a positive impact on their achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 All pupils have equal opportunity to learn and develop well. No pupil is prevented from enjoying the full range of learning opportunities provided.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil premium funding has been well planned and allocated. Small-group and one-to-one tuition is provided to help for eligible pupils who are at risk of underachieving, particularly in English and mathematics. The funding is also used for outdoor education, speech therapy and sports coaching. However, the governing body is not sufficiently well informed about how the pupil premium is spent and the impact it is having.

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The leadership and management are good

 In this harmonious school community, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils relate well to others and show consideration and respect. They reflect on their learning and on their actions.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has made a good contribution to the school’s improvement since the previous inspection. Good use has been made of literacy and numeracy consultants in providing training for staff and monitoring pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  is supportive and has a clear knowledge of the school and the community it serves  asks challenging questions about the school’s performance and holds it to account  meets statuory requirements, including those relating to safeguarding  is not sufficiently knowledgeable about the use of the pupil premium and its impact on pupils’ learning.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 103643 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 404883

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 426 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tom Jewell Headteacher Tricia Wilkinson Date of previous school inspection 23 November 2010 Telephone number 02476 223281 Fax number 02476 559627 Email address admin@gosfordpark.coventry.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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