Gunnerside Methodist Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Gunnerside Methodist Primary School Gunnerside, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL11 6LE

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Outcome

Gunnerside Methodist Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Gunnerside Methodist Primary School is a school where every pupil is valued and nurtured. Leaders, governors and staff have high aspirations for pupils. The school values of love, hope, kindness and peace are part of everyday school life. Leaders have developed a curriculum that embraces the local area and supports pupils to understand life in modern Britain. Pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences, such as a fell running club and a recent key stage 1 educational visit to Edinburgh.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Around school, they are kind and courteous to staff and their peers. Pupils celebrate the many ways in which they can show kindness. From early years onwards, they interact and play with each other in a respectful way. Pupils feel very safe in school. They say that bullying is very rare. Pupils are clear that they have adults in school who would support them quickly if problems should happen.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about school. One parent said, ‘Every member of staff is approachable and they care. My children have settled into the school really well.’

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

Leaders are ambitious in their expectations for pupils. There is a curriculum, developed by leaders across the federation of schools, to match these aspirations. Leaders have thought carefully about how to support and challenge pupils in mixed age classes so they achieve well. Subject leaders have developed detailed plans that support pupils to build knowledge and skills over time. In art and design, pupils learn about a diverse range of artists and build on their skills as they revisit drawing and painting while they progress through school. This curriculum starts in early years. The skills and knowledge leaders want pupils to know in art and design are clear. In other subjects, planning also identifies the key knowledge and language pupils need to know and remember. In mathematics, leaders’ planning ensures pupils build on their previous success. Pupils regularly revisit key concepts and deepen this further in each lesson. They talk confidently about their

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mathematical learning. Pupils can make links from previous learning to new ideas and knowledge.

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The teaching of early reading is a high priority. Staff benefit from strong subject knowledge and training. As a result, phonics teaching is consistent and effective. Pupils use phonics strategies to read unfamiliar words with confidence. Children in early years sound and blend new words with excitement. They enjoy their phonics lessons. Pupils have books that are well matched to their phonic knowledge. This helps them to read fluently. Pupils in key stage 1 are very enthusiastic about books. They have favourite genres and authors, and talk confidently about them. Pupils in key stage 2 are capable and confident readers. Each class has a reading tree. This initiative, along with reading ambassadors, is encouraging pupils to read more often and more widely.

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In class, adults support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. The school is very inclusive, and all pupils access the full curriculum offer. Leaders make use of additional agencies for pupils. Leaders do not always ensure that they have a precise understanding of how to support some pupils with SEND to make stronger progress.

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In classrooms, around school and during play, pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Pupils are mature and respectful. They have a clear understanding of the school rules and understand their importance. The school is calm and orderly. This includes early years, where pupils have clear routines.

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Beyond the classroom, leaders have a clear and extensive plan for broadening the experience of pupils. A wide range of after-school clubs are available. Fell running and mountain biking are very popular clubs. School educational visits link to curriculum themes. Pupils learned about city life, different transport and different faiths as part of a recent visit to Edinburgh. Pupils in key stage 2 talk with maturity about healthy relationships, online safety and how their bodies will change as they get older. Pupils are clear that everyone is different but that they are treated equally and with kindness. Older pupils understand British values like democracy and the rule of law.

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Staff are very positive about working here. There is a strong culture of collaboration across the federation of schools. Leaders and governors take workload and well-being into consideration as part of decision-making.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils overwhelmingly feel safe in school. They have trusted adults who support them with any worries that they might have.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) knows the school community very well. The DSL keeps timely records and supports families in a variety of ways. The DSL makes referrals to additional agencies where needed. Staff receive training around safeguarding and know 21 and 22 March 2023

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how to escalate concerns to the DSL. Not all staff are as clear on local issues that might impact pupils in school and how to recognise vulnerable behaviours linked to these.

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Leaders make the necessary recruitment checks on adults who work in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders and staff do not always provide the most accurate and prompt support for some pupils. Pupils do not always benefit from rapid identification of needs to support their learning. Leaders must ensure that the subject knowledge of leaders and teachers is closely matched to the needs of pupils across school.

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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 an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2012.

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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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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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255874 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 30 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Gunnerside Methodist Primary School is part of a federation of schools with Reeth Community Primary School.  This is a Methodist school. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in March 2016. The next section 48 inspection will be within eight years of that date.  Both schools are led by one headteacher. Subject leaders and the school’s special educational needs coordinator work across both school sites.  Pupils in early years and key stage 1 are educated at Reeth Community Primary School. Pupils in key stage 2 are educated at Gunnerside Methodist Primary School.  The 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 21 and 22 March 2023

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 Prior to the inspection, the lead inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website, as well as published information about the school’s performance and previous Ofsted inspections.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and art and design. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons and spoke to teachers and teaching assistants. They spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors listened to pupils at the early stages of reading with a familiar adult. Inspectors also looked at planning and met with leaders to discuss history, and design and technology.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors spoke to staff, pupils and a range of stakeholders, including governors. Safeguarding documentation was scrutinised, including the safeguarding policies and the single central record of recruitment checks. Inspectors

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spoke to pupils and observed relationships between pupils and adults. Inspectors also met with the designated safeguarding lead.  Inspectors gathered views of parents informally in person and formally through responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text responses. The views of staff were considered through the staff survey and through meetings with them. Pupils’ views were considered through a pupil survey and pupil meetings.  Inspectors spoke with representatives from the governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classes, during breaks and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Emily Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Ian Dawson Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 March 2023

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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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