Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery School Forester Drive, Stalybridge, Cheshire SK15 2DP

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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 3 and 4 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils quickly make new friends at this school. The overwhelming majority of pupils enjoy their learning. They feel safe and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A very small number of pupils, parents and carers feel that bullying incidents are not always tackled as well as they should be. However, analysis of leaders’ records shows that they take swift action to deal with bullying concerns or unkind behaviour effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Senior leaders have high expectations for pupils. They expect them to follow the school’s ‘Bee’ rules and to work hard. Most pupils proudly live up to these expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the varied opportunities that they have to contribute to school life and to make it the best it can be. They enjoy working as well-being ambassadors, school council representatives and members of the eco-committee. Pupils spoke very proudly about receiving a letter from the King thanking them for their recipe for spinach pastries. They also spoke with enthusiasm about gaining an award in recognition of their work on sustainability.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents who shared their views with the inspection team were very positive about the school. They appreciate all that staff do to support pupils and to ensure that they learn well and enjoy school.

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better?

Leaders have worked collaboratively to develop their curriculum. They have made sure that, in most subjects, pupils learn new knowledge in small, logical steps, from the beginning of early years to the end of Year 6. Their ambition matches the expectations of the national curriculum. However, in a very small number of subjects, leaders have not clearly identified what pupils will learn and when.

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better?

For the most part, teachers show strong subject knowledge. They introduce new learning to pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), in a way that supports pupils to build on their prior knowledge effectively.

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better?

Teachers usually use assessment information well to adapt future teaching and to make sure that they quickly address any gaps or misconceptions in pupils’ learning.

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better?

Leaders know that the key to unlocking pupils’ potential is to ensure that they learn to read well and develop positive attitudes to reading. Children in the early years enjoy a range of popular and much-loved stories, rhymes and songs. This helps to spark their interest in reading and books.

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better?

Leaders have implemented an early reading programme which introduces pupils to letters and sounds in a logical way. Many staff implement the programme as leaders 3 and 4 July 2023

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intend. However, some staff do not have sufficient knowledge about how to support early readers. This means that they do not always use the most effective methods to help struggling readers. As a result, some pupils find it difficult to read new words from unfamiliar books fluently. However, older pupils read well, with expression and confidence. They feel that reading broadens their horizons and opens their minds to the wider world.

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Leaders ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified quickly. The SEND team works well together to provide staff with helpful support and guidance so that pupils with SEND can mostly learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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In the most recently published data for writing at the end of key stage 1, and in the multiplication tables check for pupils at the end of Year 4, pupils did not perform as well as their peers nationally. However, the learning of current pupils shows that leaders have quickly and effectively addressed any residual gaps. Overall, pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.

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Most pupils behave well. However, in a very small minority of classes, some teachers do not always have the same high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. This means that a small number of pupils report that, on occasion, other pupils disturb their learning.

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Pupils participate in a wide range of engaging and interesting activities to enhance their personal development. This includes representing the school in swimming galas, raising money for the local hospice and learning about different ways to stay healthy. Pupils also learn about fundamental British values, such as democracy and the rule of law.

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Governors are enthusiastic members of the school community. They support and challenge leaders well. Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the support that leaders give them. They feel that their workload and work-life balance are well considered.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff pride themselves on knowing their pupils and families well. They have formed an effective team whose members work well together for the mutual benefit of pupils and the wider school community.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff receive regular safeguarding updates so that they act quickly and diligently if they have any concerns about a pupil’s welfare or well-being. Leaders have forged strong relationships with a range of external partners. This means that they know whom to go to secure timely and effective support for pupils and their families. 3 and 4 July 2023

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Pupils learn about a wide range of different aspects of safety in an age-appropriate way.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The early reading programme is not always implemented as well as it could be. Additionally, a few staff have insufficient knowledge about how best to support struggling readers. As a result, some pupils do not learn to read as fluently as they should. Leaders should ensure that staff receive the support that they need so that the early reading programme is delivered consistently well and that struggling readers are provided with effective help to support them to become confident and fluent readers.  In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of development. This means that pupils are sometimes not fully secure in their learning. Leaders should implement plans to improve the curriculum in these subjects so that pupils learn more and remember more over time.  A few staff do not always ensure that pupils listen attentively or follow the school rules consistently well. This means that a small number of pupils sometimes make

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

it harder for other pupils to concentrate or to behave as well as they should, particularly in less-structured situations. Leaders should make sure that teachers implement the behaviour policy consistently well so that pupils and parents are fully assured that pupils across school meet leaders’ high expectations for their behaviour.

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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. 3 and 4 July 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 September 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not currently make use of alternative provision for pupils.  The chair of governors recently took up post.

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Information about this inspection

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 spoke with the headteacher, other leaders and staff in school. They spoke with governors, including the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, including early reading, mathematics, geography, music and science. They spoke with the curriculum leaders of these subject areas. Inspectors also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. An inspector listened to pupils read to familiar adults. 3 and 4 July 2023

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 Inspectors also spoke with leaders from other areas of the curriculum. They looked at pupils’ work, spoke with pupils and visited some lessons.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and at lunchtimes. They observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school.  Inspectors evaluated leaders’ safeguarding arrangements, self-evaluation document and improvement plans.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  Inspectors spoke with parents as they dropped their children off at school. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.  Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Louise McArdle, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Graham Hamilton Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 July 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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