Goddard Park Community Primary School

Goddard Park Community Primary School Welcombe Avenue, Park North, Swindon, SN3 2QN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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.  Teaching is good in all parts of the school and some is outstanding.  Pupils achieve well over time because of the good teaching they receive.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make at least good progress from their starting points.  Pupils behave well in and around the school and are proud of all they do.  All leaders and managers, including governors, are committed and work together successfully to make sure that the school continues to improve.  The pupil premium and sports funding are used imaginatively to provide effective support to different groups of pupils.  Additional adult staff provide good help and guidance to those pupils who need extra support in their learning.  Parents, carers and staff are positive about the school and its work with the community.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 There are too few opportunities for pupils to work independently across a range of subjects and find things out for themselves.  Leaders’ checking of teaching and learning is not yet precise enough in identifying what needs to be done to increase the proportion of outstanding teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 26 lessons or parts of lessons, of which three were observed jointly with the headteacher or members of the senior team.  Inspectors attended assemblies and saw Years 5 and 6 pupils present a dance performance. They listened to pupils read and held meetings with staff, pupils, members of the governing body and the external consultant who supports the school.  Inspectors took into consideration the 23 responses to the online Parent View survey and the 44 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors looked closely at pupils’ work in lessons as well as the work pupils have completed over time in their books.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding, minutes of the governing body meetings ,the school’s self-evaluation and development planning, data relating to pupils’ progress, logs relating to behaviour and

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Inspection team

Marion Hobbs, Lead inspector Additional inspector Christopher Crouch Additional inspector Teresa Hill Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average sized primary school situated on the eastern side of Swindon.  The school converted to become an academy on 22 September 2010. When its predecessor school, also known as Goddard Park Community Primary, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is above average. This is additional government funding for looked after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils with a parent or carer in the armed forces.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage and the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than that seen nationally.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is above the national average. The proportion supported by school action plus or

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Information about this school

with a statement of special educational needs is also above the national average.  A separate children’s centre is housed on the school site and is subject to a separate inspection.  The school provides a daily breakfast club.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Delete symbol

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that work across a range of subjects is planned so that pupils have more opportunities to work independently and find things out for themselves.  Ensure that the monitoring of teaching and learning throughout the school uses the latest measures of effectiveness consistently to increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and secure rapid gains for all pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils join the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are generally well below the levels typical for their age. Strong provision and good teaching ensure that they make good rates of progress and leave Reception with levels that meet and often exceed expected development.  The proportion of pupils who meet the expected standard at the end of Year 1 in the screening check for phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is in line with national averages.  The same good rates of progress are reflected in attainment at the end of Key Stage 1, which has seen a trend over time of improvement in reading, writing and mathematics.  Most groups of pupils, including those eligible for the pupil premium, make better progress than typically expected. The school has put in place effective targeted support, delivered by the reading manager, learning mentor and teaching assistants, that makes a real difference in

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The achievement of pupils is good

improving outcomes for these pupils. Those eligible for the pupil premium attain at the same level as their classmates.  Pupils are encouraged to talk and speculate as part of their learning. This helps them to rehearse ideas before writing as well as develop important social skills.  Pupils read widely and often. A range of high-quality texts is to be found in the school’s resources for topic-based learning and the recently refurbished school library offers a wide range of reading material to support personal enjoyment.  Progress over time in Key Stage 2 shows a number of groups, including boys, pupils eligible for pupil premium and those supported by school action, to be outperforming national averages for both groups and against all pupils nationally.  Attainment at Key Stage 2 is in line with national averages except in grammar, punctuation and spelling which is a little below. The school is taking effective steps to address this as part of its

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching throughout the school is typically good with some examples of outstanding practice. The overall quality of teaching is not yet outstanding because the tasks set do not always allow pupils to learn independently and find things out for themselves.  High expectations and positive ethos are shared by all to support learning. The school motto sums this up well, ‘Everyone Learns. Everyone cares.’  Teachers have strong subject knowledge and use questioning skills effectively to draw out pupils’ thinking and curiosity. Year 2 pupils were given rich opportunities to develop their ideas about traditional fairytales by questioning their teacher acting in role as a character.  All classrooms are attractive, stimulating places in which to learn. This positive environment fosters interest and enjoyment across a range of subjects.  The school has used pupil premium funding imaginatively and effectively in a variety of ways to

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The quality of teaching is good

support pupils’ learning. An extensive range of the latest computer technologies is embedded as part of pupils’ classroom experience throughout the school and the information and communication technology manager works alongside pupils to edit their work. Having thought through their possible questions, Year 6 pupils interviewed inspectors to create a film to be shown across the school’s internal television network.  Other adults are well deployed to provide an appropriate range of support programmes that help pupils who are falling behind to catch up with their peers. The learning mentors provide additional and important social, emotional and behavioural support.  Pupils’ progress is checked regularly through the year and as they move up the school. This tracking information is used rigorously to put in place appropriate support programmes to help all pupils make at least good progress.  Assessment is regular and thorough across the school. Pupils know their targets and written

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The quality of teaching is good

comments in their books help them to understand the next steps they need to take in order to succeed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour, both in lessons and around the school, is consistently good. Behaviour is not outstanding because although pupils’ attitudes to learning are good, they do not yet have the opportunity to show exemplary behaviour for learning through independent work.  Pupils are polite, friendly and welcoming. They are encouraged to take a range of responsibilities, for example as school councillors or school eco-warriors, which help them to develop their social skills and sense of responsibility.  Pupils speak positively about their experiences at school. They have a clear understanding of different forms of bullying, including that which may be encountered through social media and the internet. They are confident that instances of bullying are rare at their school but, should it occur, they know who to go to and feel that it will be dealt with swiftly.  Pupils understand how to stay safe in a range of situations, including when using the internet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

They appreciate the safe, positive environment that the school provides. This includes breakfast club before school and a wide range of after-school activities.  Parents and carers are appreciative of all that the school offers. Responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were highly positive and were matched by those returned in the staff questionnaire.  The importance of healthy lifestyles is well understood. The additional government sports funding for schools is used to support pupils’ participation in a range of activities along with a dedicated sports manager who leads on different events. This includes pupils’ involvement in a local football tournament and participation in a dance festival at the town’s theatre.  Attendance is improving and is now broadly average. The ‘walking bus’ is valued by the community as a supportive means of encouraging pupils’ good attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and governors share ambition to see the school improve continually. This is supported by all staff, whose work supports good rates of progress for all pupils.  Teaching, learning and pupils’ progress are monitored on a regular basis throughout the school. What constitutes effective teaching and learning is well understood but judgements are not yet focused sharply enough on what needs to be done to move a greater proportion of teaching to consistently outstanding.  Performance management is linked to pay and progression through the salary scale. Targets relate to school priorities as well as to professional development. Individual teachers’ training needs are built into this cycle.  Leaders and governors have a clear, accurate view of the school’s performance. Data are used effectively to identify gaps and funding is deployed well to provide appropriate support to ensure

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The leadership and management are good

that pupils’ progress is at least good.  The school has been used by local authorities in the past two years to provide support to other local schools in relation to leadership and management. The external school leadership adviser, who has provided strong support to school leaders over time, is confident of the school’s capacity in terms of driving further school improvement. Pupils’ outcomes and progress over time support this view.  Additional funding, such as the pupil premium and primary sports funding, has been deployed imaginatively to put in place a range of resources that support pupils’ learning and progress across a range of subjects and activities. Pupils’ confident use of the latest computer technologies throughout the school, along with their participation in a number of local sporting tournaments, demonstrates this.  The school offers activities that stimulate all pupils’ curiosity and thinking, including for disabled

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The leadership and management are good

pupils and those who have special educational needs. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is fostered both in lessons and in the wide range of additional experiences provided. Whole-school themed weeks, for example, the Africa week, help pupils of different ages broaden their understanding as well as contribute to the school’s link with another in Nairobi.  Equality of opportunity ensures that no group is disadvantaged. All pupils have equal access to all the school provides.  The school is very much at the centre of its locality and the school does all it can to support families through a range of strategies, for example the ‘walking bus’.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is committed to seeing that the school continues to improve. Governors are knowledgeable about how successfully the school is working and what it needs to do in order to develop further. They set the headteacher’s performance management targets

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The leadership and management are good

annually with the school leadership partner and review these mid-year in line with the cycle for all teachers. Governors take advantage of the training programme offered by the local authority in order to be well prepared for their roles and responsibilities. They manage the school budget efficiently ensuring that the pupil premium and additional sports funding are deployed appropriately to support pupils’ progress and healthy well-being. Governors do all they can to support the school on a daily basis. They regularly join educational visits for different cohorts, listen to pupils read and spend time in classrooms alongside teachers. Governors take pride in the school’s community atmosphere and work.

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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 136293 Local authority Borough of Swindon Inspection number 426836

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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 Community primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 0–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 460 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Reg Thoburn Headteacher Mike Welsh Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01793 342342 Fax number 01793 342341 Email address admin@goddardpark.co.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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