Gayhurst Community School

Inspection of a good school: Gayhurst Community School Gayhurst Road, Hackney, London E8 3EN

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Outcome

Gayhurst Community School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a section 5 inspection now.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They are respectful and considerate to each other. They concentrate in lessons and work hard. This is because teachers understand how to teach subjects in an interesting way. Staff know how to move pupils’ learning on.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talked enthusiastically about the exhibitions of their work in the school art gallery and about their cookery lessons. Parents, carers and pupils are positive about the range of activities on offer. These activities help pupils understand the wider world. Leaders make sure everyone has a wide education and can find their talents, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to behave well and pupils rise to their expectations. At breaktimes, everyone plays well together. Pupils told me that they feel safe at school because they know who to tell if they have a problem. They said the teachers help them to sort out any difficulties. Parents feel confident that the school cares well for their children and keeps them safe. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 talked confidently about what they had learned about bullying. Those in Years 1 and 2 knew who to go to for help but were less certain explaining what bullying looks and feels like.

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

Teachers plan learning with care. Leaders make sure that teachers understand every curriculum subject and know what pupils might find difficult. Subject leaders give clear guidance about the key information and vocabulary to be learned. This ensures that teachers teach well and helps pupils to remember more and achieve highly.

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

Leaders make sure that pupils learn to read as quickly as possible. Their approach is systematic and makes sure that nobody falls behind. Staff use assessment well to plan what children need to know next in phonics. Pupils practise with books that are matched well to the sounds they have learned. Pupils who fall behind are helped to catch up 3–4 December 2019

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quickly. Teachers often use books that link to other subjects. This supports pupils’ understanding across the curriculum. Throughout the school, pupils read very well.

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Staff take a consistent approach to teaching mathematics. Across the school, teachers explain areas of learning, such as calculation, in the same way. This helps children learn well. Teachers routinely give pupils opportunities to practise number skills and problem solving. They make sure that pupils use mathematical vocabulary correctly.

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Pupils enjoy learning about science. They told me they like carrying out experiments. I saw Year 4 pupils confidently planning and carrying out an investigation on changing the shape of shadows. Teachers enhance the science curriculum with a yearly science and technology week to immerse children in the subject.

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The teaching of history is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6. Teachers take care to build on what pupils have learned before. By Year 6, children have a good understanding of the order of events in British and world history, for example comparing Anglo-Saxons with the Kingdom of Benin.

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Leaders make sure that staff understand how to support all pupils, particularly those with SEND. They carefully consider when pupils need activities planned just for them and when they can learn best from taking part in larger class lessons. All staff are well trained and supported to help the pupils they work with learn.

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There is little disruption in lessons because lessons are well planned and interesting. Those children who need more support with their behaviour are well managed.

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The school has developed a wide range of activities and key experiences that build pupils’ understanding of the world. These are organised into strands, such as ‘experiencing the city’, ‘experiencing the natural world’ and ‘contributing to our community’. These contribute effectively to pupils’ personal development.

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School leaders and governors truly want the school to include all pupils. They want the school to improve the life chances of all pupils, especially the most disadvantaged. They carefully evaluate the school’s work. Governors understand the school well and know when and how to challenge leaders.

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Children in Nursery and Reception are settled and happy. Staff plan activities which interest them and help them learn in all areas. Stories are at the centre of the curriculum and support children to develop their English vocabulary and understanding of mathematics. For example, I saw staff using the story of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ to help children understand the concept of ‘first, second, third’. Leaders make sure that learning in Years 1 and 2 builds on what is taught in Nursery and Reception.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Keeping children safe is at the centre of the school’s work. Staff have been thoroughly trained in the school’s policies and procedures. They understand what to do if they are 3–4 December 2019

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worried about a pupil. Leaders understand what the local risks to pupils might be and how they need to adapt the work of the school to protect children. School staff work well with outside agencies to support children and families.

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Pupils told me they feel safe at school. They were able to explain what school teaches them to help them stay safe online and in their local community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Younger children know who to go to for help if they are worried or unhappy. However, they find it difficult to articulate what bullying looks or feels like. Leaders should review the anti-bullying work in Years 1 and 2 so that these pupils better understand what bullying is and what it is not.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good/outstanding. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 2–3 February 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and 3–4 December 2019

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pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 3–4 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110458 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteachers Ms Louise Nichols (executive headteacher) Karen Pedro (associate headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2–3 February 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a federation with two other schools. All three schools in the federation share the same executive headteacher.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the executive headteacher, headteacher, deputy headteachers and members of staff. I also met with members of the governing body and a local authority representative.  I looked at these subjects in depth: reading, mathematics, science and history. I held discussions with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with staff and pupils and looked at pupils’ work.  I spoke with parents and considered the 86 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including the free-text responses from parents.  I spoke to pupils and staff about the school’s work to keep pupils safe. I also considered safeguarding records, documentation and the school’s single central record of staff suitability checks. 3–4 December 2019

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Inspection team

Bryony Freeman, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 3–4 December 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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