Gaywood Primary School

Inspection of Gaywood Primary School Field Lane, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 4AY

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 6 and 7 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a rich educational experience at Gaywood Primary. Their learning in class is interesting and carefully planned to ensure they cover a broad range of topics within each subject. This is enhanced by wider opportunities, such as sports clubs and music tuition.

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What is it like to attend this school?

They enjoy playtimes, using the wide range of equipment on offer. They are kind to each other and help others solve minor disputes. Pupils take a range of leadership roles in the school, such as ‘junior leader’, being members of the school council or ‘science ambassador’. Bullying is rare, pupils are sure that adults will sort out any problems they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a strong community. They sing joyfully together in assemblies. They listen carefully to each other when sharing work, for example when each class performed a choral poem to the whole school.

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better?

Leaders in the school and across the wider multi-academy trust have put in place a comprehensively planned curriculum that prioritises key knowledge and vocabulary. The standard of what is expected of pupils is high. For a few subjects, such as computing and modern foreign languages, the implementation of this is at an early stage.

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better?

In subjects such as English and mathematics, teachers skilfully build on pupils’ learning day-on-day and week-on-week. They use a range of strategies across subjects to help build up collections of knowledge and vocabulary, such as working walls, to support pupils to learn. Some teachers’ confidence in delivering aspects of the curriculum beyond English and mathematics is less well developed. Where this occurs, pupils do not always get the opportunities to apply their knowledge to more complex tasks or questions.

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better?

Early reading is taught well. There is a cohesive programme in place, which ensures that all adults delivering early reading teaching do so well. Staff benefit from regular coaching. Those new to the school spend time observing and learning from more experienced staff before having their own teaching groups. The books that are sent home are closely matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge.

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better?

Older pupils enjoy choosing books from the well-stocked library and class bookshelves. Leaders have invested in books to widen the cultural diversity of these. Pupils enjoy listening to their teachers read in class and assemblies.

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better?

Leaders know that some pupils in the older years have poor pen/pencil grips and control and that this can lead to poor presentation in some work. They are 6 and 7 October 2021

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prioritising developing fine motor skills in the early years and encouraging children to practise their early writing on paper more regularly.

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The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is strong. Staff are well trained to meet the needs of pupils. Support is planned carefully around individuals, which enables them to make good progress across subjects in the curriculum.

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The early years environment provides a vibrant and well-resourced area to support children’s development in all the areas of learning. The curriculum for the early years is similarly ambitious to that in the rest of the school. Children are taught a wide range of knowledge and vocabulary. However, where some of the staff are new to early years in this setting, they are not as confident to support children to develop their language and vocabulary, when children are initiating their own activities.

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Pupils behave well. They are attentive and work hard. School staff use consistent approaches to managing behaviour through the school, which means pupils are clear about the expectations.

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Pupils learn about other cultures and ways of life. They are positive about getting to know others who are different to themselves. Regular assemblies celebrate people from around the world who are famous for standing up for what is right. The ethos of the school encourages respect for each other.

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Leaders and staff at all levels work closely as part of the trust. This supports less experienced teachers, giving them a wide range of support and colleagues to work with. More experienced teachers are given the opportunity, in turn, to share their expertise and develop the ways of teaching within the curriculum.

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School senior leaders, governors and trustees know the school well. School evaluations are accurate, governors check on this by talking to a wide range of staff. Development plans are realistic and clearly set out how leaders are and will continue to improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe. They know who they can go to if they do not feel safe. E-safety is taught effectively as a separate subject to reflect the importance of pupils knowing how to keep themselves safe online in modern Britain.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know the pupils well. When families need additional help or support, this is provided. Safeguarding records are maintained to a high standard. Leaders work closely with other agencies when needed.

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Safeguarding

All appropriate pre-employment checks are made on adults working within the school. 6 and 7 October 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have ensured that there is a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum in place. Some staff are not yet as confident in the delivery of this across all subjects. As a result, pupils do not always have the skills to apply their learning to more complex tasks. Leaders need to ensure that teachers have the subject and pedagogical knowledge to be able to deliver all areas of the curriculum to the same high quality.  Despite the strengths of the early years curriculum, children are not yet getting precise encouragement to develop their knowledge and vocabulary as fully when learning independently. This means that opportunities to build on what children are learning in planned activities are sometimes missed. Leaders need to ensure that adults are confident to support children to revisit vocabulary and knowledge when they are initiating their own play and learning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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.

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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 pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 6 and 7 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200479 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Gaywood Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 June 2017. When its predecessor school, of the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.  The school provides a breakfast- and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and a wide range of other staff. The inspectors met with the trust executive headteacher, the director of primary standards and representatives of the trustees and local governing body. 6 and 7 October 2021

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 The inspectors did deep dives into reading, mathematics, science, computing and history. As part of these, they met with subject leaders, visited lessons, scrutinised subject plans and pupils’ work and also met with groups of pupils.  The inspectors also scrutinised a range of planning documents and visited lessons in other subjects.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspectors spoke to staff and pupils, examined some safeguarding records and the school’s single central record.  The inspectors took the 40 responses to the Ofsted parent survey and the 26 responses to the staff survey into account.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Darron Jackson Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 October 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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