Gisburn Road Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Gisburn Road Community Primary School Gisburn Road, Barnoldswick, Lancashire, BB18 5LS

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Outcome

Gisburn Road Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in school. They proudly tell visitors all about their work. Pupils are polite and well behaved in lessons. They listen carefully to instructions and work hard to meet their teachers’ high expectations. This helps pupils build up their knowledge well over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play happily together at playtimes. They can choose to have active playtimes or to take part in quieter activities, such as role play and construction. The resources and space available to the pupils meets their diverse needs and interests well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils live up to their school values. They are respectful of themselves and others. They value their friends and are truthful. Pupils trust the adults in school to support them with their behaviour. They recognise that bullying does occasionally happen but that it is dealt with swiftly and well. Pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking on a range of responsibilities. For example, the school council representatives are proud of their work to improve playtimes. Pupils in Year 5 are looking forward to next year when they can be ‘gardeners’ and help their Reception buddies grow from tiny ‘seeds’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers speak highly of the school. They would readily recommend it to others.

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

Leaders have meticulously designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. This sets out the important knowledge and skills that pupils will acquire in all subjects. Leaders have ensured that all staff have the expertise to teach the curriculum well. They carefully check that it is delivered as planned. Staff and governors display strong, shared values. They ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access a curriculum that is well matched to their needs. 22–23 June 2021

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In subjects such as mathematics and science, leaders have carefully considered the order in which they deliver new learning. Pupils recognise how their current learning builds on what they already know. For example, pupils in Year 6 understand how their practical experience of making a circuit in Year 4 has recently helped them to draw and label complex circuit diagrams. Pupils talked about their learning using well-developed vocabulary. This includes children in the early years who use accurate mathematical language when discussing whether containers are full, half full or empty.

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Staff use every opportunity to develop the language skills of the youngest children. The children enthusiastically join in with activities, such as reciting rhymes and clapping the sounds in their names. Staff share a wide range of stories and books with these children. The children are well prepared to learn to read in the Reception Year. Older pupils also enjoy the books their teachers read with them. Pupils benefit from a structured approach to the teaching of reading. This supports them to read well and to develop their comprehension skills.

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Staff deliver the phonics curriculum in a logical order. Pupils learn the letters and sounds that build on those they already know. Reading books are typically matched to pupils’ reading knowledge. However, not all pupils who find learning to read difficult are given regular support to help them catch up quickly. This slows the rate at which some pupils develop as fluent readers.

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Children in the early years are highly inquisitive and are keen to learn. Their behaviour is impeccable. Throughout the rest of the school these high standards of behaviour are maintained. This helps pupils to learn with minimal distraction.

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Before the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, pupils’ learning was enriched by a range of opportunities. For example, pupils enjoyed memorable visits to a farm and a mill. They talked animatedly about a visit from a Roman centurion. Pupils also enjoyed many after- school clubs provided by staff. Leaders have endeavoured to maintain as many of these clubs as possible. They are determined that pupils do not miss out on these important experiences.

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The curriculum helps pupils to develop positive attitudes about themselves and others. For example, in personal, social and health education, pupils learn about diverse types of families. Older pupils talk knowledgeably about issues, such as race, gender and sexuality. They are well prepared to grow up in modern Britain.

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Staff appreciate the supportive approach of leaders. They are clear that leaders consider their workload and well-being. Staff enjoy working at the school and are proud to belong to the Gisburn Road family.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and governors have a clear understanding of the needs of pupils and their families. All staff are well trained and know how to spot concerns and report them appropriately. 22–23 June 2021

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Leaders are tenacious in following up these concerns. They provide vulnerable families with timely support, including from the school’s learning mentor. Leaders also work closely with other agencies to ensure pupils are kept safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils who are learning to read do not all benefit from regular support. This means that some pupils do not become fluent readers as quickly as they could. Leaders need to ensure that all pupils have the frequent support that they need to enable them to become successful readers.

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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. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good 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 28 – 29 April 2015.

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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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 22–23 June 2021

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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 pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 22–23 June 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10183996 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Rachel Waddington

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28–29 April 2015.

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Information about this school

 A new deputy headteacher has been appointed since the previous section 5 inspection.  A new chair of governors has also been appointed during this time.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken this into account in the evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. She met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body, and a representative of Lancashire local authority.  The inspector spoke with parents to gather their views about the school. She considered the 25 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including 24 comments submitted via the free-text facility. The inspector considered the nine responses to the staff survey and the 30 responses to the pupil survey.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at lunch time. 22–23 June 2021

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 The inspector looked at a range of documentation for safeguarding, including the record of required checks carried out on school staff. She checked the systems for recording safeguarding concerns. The inspector spoke with staff and governors to check their understanding of the school’s safeguarding procedures. She also spoke to pupils about safeguarding.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  The inspector evaluated the school’s approach to the curriculum. She considered reading, mathematics and science as part of this inspection. The inspector met with subject leaders and visited lessons. She observed children reading to a trusted adult. The inspector spoke with teachers and pupils. She viewed examples of pupils’ work and spoke with pupils about their learning.

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Inspection team

Jackie Stillings, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector 22–23 June 2021

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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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