Goffs Oak Primary & Nursery School

Inspection of Goffs Oak Primary & Nursery School Millcrest Road, Goffs Oak, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire EN7 5NS

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2022

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 15 and 16 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being at school. They learn in a calm, caring and compassionate environment. They take pride in a wide range of learning opportunities. They are proud of the responsibilities and roles that they have, such as well-being ambassadors. Pupils look after each other and organise games at play times that include everyone.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They understand what bullying is. They know it can happen, but teachers are good at sorting it out when it does occur. Pupils trust the adults in school. They know if they have problems they can talk to anyone and they will get the help they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They concentrate in their lessons and listen to their teachers and each other. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils meet these expectations because the rules are clear.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning. Their enthusiasm is reflected by positive attitudes to learning. Pupils remember the important knowledge they learn over time in most subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that people are different and respect this. Staff encourage pupils to look after their mental health. Pupils look forward to the calming music and mindfulness sessions that help them to relax after busy times.

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better?

Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum. They are passionate about reading being at the centre of this curriculum. In most subjects, leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn, from the early years to Year 6. They have organised this knowledge in a logical order. This helps teachers to teach well because it is clear what pupils need to know and when. In a few subjects, leaders’ curriculum thinking is less clear. When this is the case, teachers do not know the knowledge that pupils need to remember from each lesson. As a result, pupils do not progress as well as they could through the curriculum. However, by the end of Year 6 pupils have a firm foundation for learning in secondary school.

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better?

Leaders ensure staff, including teachers early in their careers, receive appropriate training to teach the curriculum. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They present information and explain things well to pupils. Where leaders’ curriculum thinking is well developed, teachers use appropriate activities and tasks that help pupils learn. This helps pupils to remember and use important knowledge to help them with future learning. 15 and 16 November 2022

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Teachers spot when pupils need extra help. Teachers revisit aspects of the curriculum if pupils are not secure with their learning.

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Staff have regular and effective training to teach the early reading curriculum. Pupils learn consistent lesson routines and expectations. Teachers ensure that the books pupils read match the sounds that they are learning. This helps pupils build their confidence and understand what they are reading. Teachers help pupils keep up with their reading by providing ‘keep-up sessions’ if needed. Pupils enjoy reading. They learn to read fluently and with confidence. Older pupils can discuss their reading maturely, including their favourite books and authors.

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Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. Leaders work well with parents to ensure that pupils receive appropriate help and support. Teachers plan and adapt their teaching for pupils with SEND effectively. They know pupils’ individual needs well. Pupils with SEND benefit from the same broad and balanced curriculum as their friends.

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Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respond well. Adults set out expectations and routines from the very start in the early years. Pupils develop positive attitudes to learning. They are excited and interested by learning. Pupils talk confidently about what they have learned. They behave well in lessons and around school. Pupils’ learning is rarely interrupted by poor behaviour.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. Pupils understand the importance of physical health and how it impacts on their well-being. They learn what healthy relationships look like and how to stay safe when working online.

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Governors work effectively with the school to support and challenge leaders. They know the school well because they choose to visit regularly. They have regular training to ensure they are updated and understand their roles, including the safeguarding of pupils and staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective

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Safeguarding

Leaders make appropriate checks on staff and visitors to school. Staff are well trained to identify, record and pass on any worries or concerns that they may have. This includes concerns about other adults. Leaders work well with a range of agencies to ensure that pupils and families get the help they need to keep pupils safe. Pupils learn what healthy relationships look like and how to stay safe online. 15 and 16 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not clearly identified the important knowledge, including vocabulary, that pupils need to know at each stage of their learning. As a result, teachers are not always clear which aspects of learning pupils need to remember to help with future learning. Leaders must ensure that in all subjects they identify the important knowledge that pupils need to know so that teachers can plan activities and sequences of learning that build effectively on pupils’ previous 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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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. 15 and 16 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240825 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not use alternative provision for its pupils.

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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 carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors considered the design of the curriculum, spoke with subject leaders, visited lessons, scrutinised pupils’ books and listened to children reading. They also spoke with teachers and pupils.  Inspectors also spoke with leaders of other subjects in the curriculum.  Inspectors spoke with the local authority improvement partner. 15 and 16 November 2022

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 To inspect safeguarding, meetings were held with the designated safeguarding lead, teachers and pupils. Inspectors also reviewed records, policies and documents related to safeguarding.  Inspectors spoke with governors and the leaders with responsibility for SEND and early years.  To gather pupils’ views, inspectors spoke with pupils, including at breaktimes, and took account of 51 responses to Ofsted’s survey of pupils’ views.  Inspectors reviewed the 68 responses and 66 free-text comments submitted to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents and carers.  The inspectors took account of 22 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Debbie Rogan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Wade Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 November 2022

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