The Galfrid School

Inspection of The Galfrid School Galfrid Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB5 8ND

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 October 2023

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Claire Macfie. The school is part of United Learning, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Jon Coles, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Richard Greenhalgh. There is also a regional director, Matthew Wynne, who is responsible for the school. 17 and 18 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending The Galfrid School. They are positive about their daily experiences, including the books that teachers read to them, the clubs they attend and the friendships that they have. Pupils feel safe, which is due to the strong, respectful relationships they have with adults in the school. They know that the adults will sort out any problems that arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and enjoy their learning. During lessons, pupils are focused and engaged in what they are doing. When working together, they are respectful of each other’s opinions. They appreciate that everyone has different ways to prepare to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to talk about, and manage, their emotions. They make good use of a range of techniques, including mindfulness breathing and reflection time, to do this. Pupils know staff are available to help them. This enables pupils to be ready to learn each day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities available. These are carefully planned to align with the curriculum and include trips to an open air museum and Hunstanton. The trips are well attended by all pupils. These opportunities ensure that pupils have first-hand experiences that help them to remember more of what they learn in class.

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better?

Since the school opened, it has gone from strength to strength. The staff have worked together to have a clear vision and a common aim to ‘bring out the best in everyone’. Staff have designed the ambitious curriculum around the pupils who attend the school. They ensure that pupils get experiences that they might otherwise not have.

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better?

In most subjects, the school has organised the knowledge that pupils learn so that it builds over time. However, in a few subjects, subject leaders are not clear on how children in the early years are prepared for the curriculum in Year 1. A few members of staff also do not have the knowledge they need to teach a few subjects. In these subjects, pupils do not have as secure an understanding as they do in other subjects. Pupils cannot remember and use some important subject knowledge because they have not been taught it accurately.

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better?

The school has adapted and personalised the curriculum for all pupils, especially those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff ensure that pupils with SEND are ready to learn. The school works well with external agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the provision that they need. This enables pupils with SEND to make strong progress. 17 and 18 October 2023

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The school prioritises reading, right from the start. Children in the early years start to learn letter sounds in the first few weeks of Reception. Staff are well trained to teach phonics effectively. The books that the pupils read are well matched to the sounds that they are learning so that they can practise these using their phonics knowledge. Alongside this, teachers’ regular assessments ensure that they know which pupils need extra support. This helps most pupils to make strong progress.

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Pupils have access to a wide range of books in the school library. Pupils are confident to discuss various authors and why they enjoy reading their books. They like to read different types of texts, which sometimes make them want to read more of that genre or author. As a result, many pupils enjoy reading.

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The school sets high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. These start in the early years, where children learn to follow routines and rules and why these are important. Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently. Pupils know what is expected of them. Staff manage the few instances of poor behaviour well. Pupils are resilient and take pride in their work.

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The school’s personal development curriculum has been well structured and developed. Class reading books are carefully chosen to ensure that pupils learn about a range of cultures and beliefs different to their own. Pupils can have positions of responsibility within their class and/or the school. The school council makes sure everyone, therefore, has their say. Pupils’ views are heard and acted on.

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The school values its staff. Staff value the personalised, high-quality training that ensures they teach a curriculum suitable for all pupils. Workload and well-being are carefully considered by the school at all levels. The school ensures that all staff have the chance to be heard.

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Since the school opened, the trust and governors have worked closely with staff. There have been many changes to improve the provision, which are having a positive impact for the pupils at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few staff do not have the knowledge they need to be able to teach some subjects as intended. In these subjects, pupils do not build effectively on their previous learning. This means they have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The school must ensure that staff receive the same high-quality training that they have in other areas in order to teach all subjects well and as intended. 17 and 18 October 2023

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 Not all subject leaders are aware of the early years’ curriculum and the work the children are completing in preparation for the national curriculum. Leaders cannot accurately support staff in ensuring that pupils’ learning is building on what they have learned in the early years. The school should ensure that all subject leaders know what they want children to know at the end of the early years curriculum so that pupils have a firm foundation of knowledge to build on in Year 1 in all subjects.

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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 ’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 17 and 18 October 2023

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CEO of the Trust

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened as part of an academy trust on 1 June 2019. It is part of United Learning.  The headteacher joined the school in June 2020.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.  The predecessor school, Abbey Meadows Primary School, was inspected in December 2017 and was judged to be inadequate.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s educational provision. 17 and 18 October 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector spoke with governors and a trustee from United Learning. The lead inspector also met with the regional director of United Learning.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, music and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  There were no responses to the Ofsted pupil survey or staff survey. Inspectors gathered the views of pupils by speaking to them during lessons, at lunchtime and at breaktimes. Inspectors spoke to groups of staff to gather their views of the school.  The inspectors considered the 33 responses and free-text comments submitted to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The lead inspector spoke to parents at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Katie Devenport, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Ania Vaughan Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 October 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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