Gateway Academy

Inspection of Gateway Academy Capland Street, London NW8 8LN

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Gateway Academy as an academy school under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection of the predecessor school. 5 and 6 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school which is truly at the heart of its community. Pupils talk about the ‘Gateway Way’ and how this helps them to enjoy school, be happy and stay safe. Pupils display impeccable behaviour and rise to the very high expectations set by their teachers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that bullying is not tolerated. Leaders deal with all incidents promptly and efficiently. Pupils said this helps them to feel confident in school. Pupils appreciate the many opportunities they have to learn about the world around them. For example, they enjoy spending time in the quiet garden and the eco-classroom where they grow plants, herbs and vegetables.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well in their learning. Everyone is focused on preparing each pupil for the next stage in their education. Partnerships with parents and carers as well as the wider community make a strong contribution to pupils’ learning. Leaders provide a wide range of well-thought-out links with organisations to broaden pupils’ experiences. For example, pupils get to work with West End theatres, national charities and local community groups.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud ambassadors of their school. They enjoy representing Gateway at competitions and events, such as in football matches at Regent’s Park. Pupils work together in their team ‘houses’. This encourages older pupils to act as excellent role models to others during special occasions, including poetry slams and sports events.

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better?

Leaders make sure that reading has a high profile in the school. It all begins in the early years where children start to learn to use phonics for reading and writing. As they move through Years 1 and 2, pupils develop into fluent and competent readers. They become increasingly confident in tackling new words. Teachers help pupils to develop an understanding of what they are reading. Leaders have reorganised the approaches to teaching reading in Years 3 to 6. Pupils really like this. They said that it helps them to ask and answer questions more confidently about texts and authors. Pupils achieve well in reading.

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better?

Children in the early years are very well supported. Teachers are particularly good at helping children to develop their communication and language. This helps children to thrive, especially those who join the school with limited understanding of English. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well. From the early years up, teachers are skilled at identifying and supporting pupils’ specific needs.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to achieve highly. They have developed a curriculum which is rich in opportunities to broaden pupils’ horizons. Leaders have worked out what pupils need to learn in each subject. In most subjects, pupils’ 5 and 6 October 2022

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learning is sequenced in a way that helps them to build their knowledge securely. For example, children in Reception recapped their understanding of counting to match different amounts of objects to different numbers. In Year 2, pupils built on their prior knowledge of number to solve calculation problems accurately. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 used what they had been taught previously to read unfamiliar words using phonics strategies. For example, they knew how to spot split digraphs and how to ‘chunk’ longer words into two parts.

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In a few subjects, there are some inconsistencies in how the curriculum is planned. For example, sometimes, it is not clear how pupils will develop their knowledge and skills over time. In most subjects, teachers are clear about how bigger learning goals are broken down into smaller steps. But in some subjects this is not as well planned. This sometimes affects what pupils know and remember in these subjects.

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Teachers use assessments effectively in order to check pupils’ learning in mathematics and reading, including phonics. In the other subjects, sometimes teachers’ checks on how well pupils are learning are not as helpful as they could be. For example, they do not focus on what pupils know and remember in some subjects or units of work.

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Children in the early years settle in brilliantly. They quickly learn the routines and enjoy their time in school. For example, children in the Nursery waited patiently for their turn to wash their hands before coming in from outside. This excellent behaviour continues as pupils get older. Throughout the school, pupils show high levels of respect for others. In lessons, pupils demonstrate a thirst for learning. Learning is hardly ever disrupted.

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Pupils are proud of their school. They take on jobs willingly and treat their roles seriously. For example, school councillors use breaktimes to get out and about to seek their classmates’ views of school life. Older pupils take pride in managing the weekly assemblies. They stand alongside leaders in preparing the rewards for excellent attendance and great behaviour.

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Leaders promote pupils’ personal development in all that they do. A wide range of programmes, including through assemblies, fairs and special events, help to teach pupils about others. For example, in an age-appropriate way, they are taught about healthy relationships, different religions and different types of family.

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Leaders, including governors, have worked successfully to maintain high standards in the school. Staff said they enjoy working as part of the ‘Gateway Family’. They feel that leaders take staff well-being seriously. Staff feel valued and listened to.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including through a well-planned programme of computing and internet safety. Staff are vigilant to pupils’ needs and 5 and 6 October 2022

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know how to identify the potential signs that pupils might be at risk of harm. Pupils said they feel safe in school. They are confident that staff deal with any problems very well.

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Leaders’ systems are robust for reporting and monitoring concerns about pupils’ welfare. Leaders make sure that families get the support they need in order to keep pupils safe and well cared for.

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Leaders ensure that the required suitability checks are undertaken before staff and volunteers start at the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have worked hard to develop a curriculum which is ambitious. However, in some of the foundation subjects, what pupils need to learn is not coherently planned. This leads to some inconsistencies in how well these subjects are delivered. Sometimes, checks on pupils’ understanding in some of the foundation subjects do not focus on the subject content that pupils know and remember. Leaders should ensure that the foundation subjects are all planned coherently. They should ensure that pupils build up their knowledge securely in these subjects as they move through the school. Leaders should ensure that teachers’ checks in these subjects focus on what pupils know and remember.

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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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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. 5 and 6 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10228817 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Gateway Academy converted to become an academy school in September 2013. When its predecessor school, Gateway Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteachers. The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with 5 and 6 October 2022

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subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about other subjects, looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects and discussed pupils’ learning with different groups of pupils. Inspectors heard pupils read.  Inspectors met with leaders and looked a documentation related to safeguarding, attendance and pupils’ behaviour. An inspector reviewed the single central record of staff suitability checks.  Inspectors held meetings with pupils and staff, including teachers new to their careers. The lead inspector accompanied a group of pupils to tour the school. Inspectors observed pupils during social times, such as breaktimes.

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Inspection team

Gary Rawlings, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Raj Mehta Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 October 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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