Gidea Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Gidea Park Primary School Lodge Avenue, Gidea Park, Romford, Essex RM2 5AJ

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Outcome

Gidea Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Achieving excellence together’ is the motto that guides everyone at this caring and popular community school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are proud of their learning. Leaders have high expectations of pupils and of the staff team. Leaders and teachers work together closely. They make sure that pupils typically learn well in a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and kind to each other. They behave well, and want to talk to visitors about their learning. Pupils said that bullying is rare. If there are any problems, staff sort things out quickly and sensitively. This is appreciated by pupils. They know that staff will be there to help them if they have any worries. Pupils understand how leaders and staff expect them to behave. Pupils become increasingly self-disciplined because they are supported by staff to reflect on their behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers know that their children are well looked after. One parent, summing up the views of many others, said, ‘I feel all my children are thriving at this school.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs and activities that the school provides. They speak enthusiastically about the Spanish and art clubs, for example, as well as the range of opportunities for sports clubs.

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

Leaders and staff have designed a curriculum which is well sequenced and sets out ambitious goals for what pupils will learn. Leaders have broken down the knowledge pupils need to learn in each subject into clear steps. As a result, teachers know what they should be teaching so that pupils know and remember more. Pupils’ work is generally of a high quality. They are proud of how they are developing their knowledge and understanding. 18 and 19 May 2022

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Ensuring that pupils have the knowledge they need for their future learning shapes leaders’ curricular thinking. In mathematics, for instance, pupils regularly practise multiplication facts and learn to use them fluently. Pupils in Year 5 described how this knowledge helped them to better understand the fractions they were learning about. In the early years too, leaders think carefully about what children need to know in order to be ready for what comes next in the curriculum. For example, children develop a secure understanding of counting and ordering numbers to 10. This prepares them well for when they learn more about how numbers and place value work in Years 1 and 2.

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Subject leaders are passionate and knowledgeable about their subjects. They support teachers to develop their expertise in teaching each subject. In art, for example, materials have been designed to help teachers increase their own knowledge of different skills and techniques.

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Leaders have made sure that reading is a high priority in the school. Pupils develop their knowledge of the sounds that letters make as they move through Reception and into Year 1. Leaders have put in place a well-sequenced programme for teaching phonics. They identify pupils who have gaps in their knowledge or need extra help with their reading. These pupils’ specific needs are addressed quickly. Typically, staff have the expertise and knowledge to follow the phonics programme effectively. In some instances, staff’s expertise in teaching early reading is still developing. This leads to occasional inconsistencies in how well the phonics programme is delivered, and some pupils lose focus on their learning. Leaders have already identified this and are providing further training to strengthen staff’s subject knowledge and, in turn, address these inconsistencies.

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Teachers check that pupils have understood what is being taught. They address any gaps in pupils’ understanding quickly. Teachers work with other staff to discuss how effectively all pupils are learning. This is especially clear for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff identify what additional support these pupils need and how best to teach subject content. Parents are very positive about how their children are supported. Pupils who are new to the school are quickly assessed to find out where gaps in their learning may be. Teachers help pupils to catch up quickly so that they can learn the curriculum alongside their peers.

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Pupils are polite and eager to tell visitors about their work and the school. They typically behave well in class. Following the COVID-19 restrictions, leaders have provided a variety of opportunities to support pupils’ emotional health. An example includes the expertise of a professional counsellor, who has led parent workshops and staff training. Pupils’ broader development is supported well, including through a range of enrichment activities and clubs. Pupils are also taught about wider society, for instance about different religions. Visits to places of worship have been used to enhance pupils’ understanding.

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Staff are supportive of leaders’ and governors’ work to make improvements in the school. Staff feel that leaders consider their workload well. Leaders have found innovative ways to streamline processes in the school. An example of this can be seen in the changes leaders have made to the marking policy. 18 and 19 May 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are vigilant. They fully understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Staff are well trained. They are alert to any signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. Leaders ensure that staff receive regular updates to safeguarding training.

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Safeguarding

Staff act quickly, following agreed procedures, if they have any concerns about pupils’ well-being. Leaders make timely and appropriate referrals to external agencies where necessary. They ensure that pupils and their families get the help they need.

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Safeguarding

Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe. This includes when pupils are working or playing online and when out in the local community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have chosen a systematic and well-planned approach to early reading, including phonics. Occasionally, there are inconsistencies in how early reading is taught. Leaders are already addressing this and have put in place plans to further develop staff’s knowledge of early reading. Leaders should continue this work and ensure that staff are provided with phonics training to strengthen their expertise and confidence in delivering the school’s phonics programme.

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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 evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2012. 18 and 19 May 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 18 and 19 May 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Rebecca Sanderson

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in April 2019, after previously having been the deputy headteacher. A new deputy headteacher was appointed in September 2019.  An existing governor was appointed as the chair of the governing body in November 2021.  This school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and members of staff. The inspector had telephone conversations with a representative of the local authority and met with members of the governing body.  The inspector did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. For each of these subjects, the inspector held discussions with subject leaders, visited lessons, 18 and 19 May 2022

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spoke with staff and pupils and looked at pupils’ work. The inspector also considered pupils’ learning in some other subjects.  The inspector spoke with pupils and staff about the school’s work to keep pupils safe. He considered safeguarding records, documentation and the school’s single central record of staff suitability checks.  The inspector spoke with parents informally at the start of the school day. He also considered the 152 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including 73 written responses, 33 responses to the staff survey and 115 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Adam Vincent, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 May 2022

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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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