Gladstone Primary Academy

Inspection of Gladstone Primary Academy Gladstone Street, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE1 2BZ

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Inspection dates: 31 October and 1 November 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 Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Simon Martin. This school is part of the Thomas Deacon Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Scott Hudson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mark Potter. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Gladstone enjoy positive relationships with their classmates and adults. Pupils are well cared for. They know that adults act quickly and help them if they have any problems. During playtime, pupils play games together and benefit from good levels of interaction with the adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils understand and follow the school rules. Pupils’ behaviour is good, both in class and during social time. Pupils are safe and feel secure. Consistent routines are well established from when children start in the early years. Pupils get on well with their learning because there are very few interruptions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love learning. They benefit from the high expectations that are set for them by the adults. There is a significant proportion of pupils who start the school mid- year. These pupils receive individual support to make sure that they settle in quickly and make friends. As such, they feel happy in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in early years receive a positive start to their education. They enjoy a curriculum in which activities are well designed to support their development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have the opportunity to participate in a range of clubs and activities. This contributes well to their personal development.

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better?

Leaders have implemented an ambitious curriculum, which meets the needs of pupils. This includes for the significant number of pupils who arrive at the school after Year 1, many of whom have gaps in what they know and remember. Leaders ensure that whenever pupils join the school, they benefit from a curriculum that prepares them for their next stage of education.

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better?

Overall, teachers deliver the curriculum as leaders intend. Where this is the case, adults provide clear explanations to ensure that pupils understand what is being taught. Most teachers are skilled in adapting their teaching to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Often, teachers give pupils plenty of opportunities to practise what they have learned. They check how well pupils remember what they have learned and use this information to identify exactly what pupils know or struggle with. Teachers respond quickly to provide pupils with extra help or further opportunities to improve if needed. This supports pupils to achieve highly throughout the curriculum.

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better?

However, there is some inconsistency in how well some of the curriculum is delivered. A minority of teachers do not use assessment as the school intends. On these occasions, some teachers’ checks on pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not precise or timely enough. They do not adapt their teaching quickly enough to give pupils, including those with SEND, the opportunity to improve in areas in which 31 October and 1 November 2023

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they are less secure. Over time, this leads to some pupils not achieving as highly as they should.

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The school ensures that pupils receive expert support to learn to read. Adults are well trained and deliver high-quality phonics sessions. Leaders check how well pupils learn to read. Adults intervene quickly if anyone falls behind. The school ensures that older pupils who join the school without knowing how to read fluently receive high levels of appropriately targeted support. Pupils speak very positively about the books they read. They show good levels of resilience in their journey to becoming fluent readers.

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In early years, an ambitious curriculum supports pupils’ development from age two to Reception. Children are happy and well looked after. Staff help children to develop their communication skills, both in English and, where possible, their home language. Children love having stories read to them. Consequently, the curriculum supports children to make good progress from their different starting points.

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The school ensures that pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. Adults are consistent in applying the behaviour policy. This means that pupils learn in a calm and orderly environment without distractions. The school works closely and effectively with families and community groups to ensure that pupils’ attendance is high.

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From the early years, a well-planned personal development programme ensures that pupils learn about differences and respect. Pupils benefit from interesting experiences that enrich their understanding of the curriculum. This includes a trip to London, where pupils gain confidence in using public transport.

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Leaders, including governors and trustees, have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and fulfil their roles effectively. They provide appropriate challenge and support to ensure that all pupils benefit from a high-quality education. Staff are very positive about how considerate leaders are about staff workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few teachers do not consistently identify where there are specific gaps in pupils’ knowledge or understanding. Where this is the case, teaching is not adapted precisely enough to secure pupils’ learning throughout the curriculum. The school needs to ensure that staff deliver the curriculum as leaders intend by using assessment systems to inform their teaching more consistently. This will ensure that pupils do not develop gaps in their knowledge so that they can achieve well. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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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). 31 October and 1 November 2023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 October 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since January 2023, the school has introduced provision for two-year-olds.  The school does not currently use 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

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a graded (section 5) inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, physical education, history, and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also reviewed curriculum plans, spoke to leaders and carried out lesson visits and work scrutiny in these subjects: Spanish, English and geography.  Inspectors met with the school’s special educational needs coordinator and scrutinised SEND support plans for a sample of pupils across different classes.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 Inspectors also reviewed documentation relating to governance and school improvement work.  The lead inspector met with the CEO and other trust staff.  The lead inspector held a meeting with governors, including the chair of governors, and also met with the chair of trustees.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s behaviour and attendance records and met with leaders with responsibility for these areas.  An inspector met with leaders and staff responsible for pupils studying a bespoke, alternative curriculum when they first join the school.  Inspectors spoke to a range of pupils from different classes across both days of inspection.  The lead inspector considered the four responses made by parents to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, as well as comments from parents at the school gate. The lead inspector also considered 28 responses to Ofsted’s survey of staff. There were no pupil responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Bessie Owen, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Conor Heaven His Majesty’s Inspector 31 October and 1 November 2023

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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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