Gaddesby Primary School

Inspection of Gaddesby Primary School Ashby Road, Gaddesby, Leicester, Leicestershire LE7 4WF

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding 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 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Leigh Fox. This school is part of Bradgate Education Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Gareth Nelmes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Stephen Cotton.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Gaddesby Primary School as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection of the predecessor school. 28 and 29 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their school. They develop very positive attitudes to their learning. They are inquisitive and want to know more. They value the range of opportunities the school offers, including many sporting and musical experiences. Pupils cherish memorable activities, such as trips and visits. They recall with affection the staff who care for them. Staff nurture pupils to become confident, resilient and independent individuals. Pupils feel safe. They each know five trusted adults they have chosen for themselves to whom they can turn if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils conduct themselves excellently. They are well mannered and respectful. Older pupils look out for, and look after, younger pupils. They relish these, and other, leadership opportunities. Pupils’ attitudes and conduct are outstanding. The school’s remarkably high behavioural expectations are met consistently.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school lives out its values of ‘positivity, respect, aspirations, curiosity, teamwork, resourceful, creativity and resilience’. Pupils proudly embrace these values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are delighted by the school’s care and provision. One parent, echoing the views of many, stated: ‘A wonderful school with lovely support and network for parents. I am beyond happy with our chosen school for our daughter. She comes home smiling and excited to tell me about her day.’

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better?

The school lives up to its motto: ‘A place to thrive!’ Leaders lead with determination and ensure that all pupils gain from high expectations and good-quality provision. Pupils are successful in many different ways. Their achievements are celebrated across the school.

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better?

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum that clearly sets out what leaders want all pupils to learn and when. Subject curriculums are well thought through in the way that they build pupils’ learning in stepped ways. In mathematics, for example, pupils deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts. They learn to reason and apply their mathematical knowledge over time. In physical education (PE), pupils learn to build their knowledge and skills across a range of sports. For example, they learn ball control in basketball, netball and rugby.

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better?

Teachers are knowledgeable. They check pupils’ understanding in lessons. The school checks pupils’ long-term learning in English and mathematics. However, the school has not fully developed an effective way to check pupils’ embedded learning in some other subjects. On occasions, some activities do not fully support pupils’ learning. These activities can distract from the learning itself.

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better?

The school successfully enables pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to access the same curriculum as their peers. Staff are skilled in 28 and 29 November 2023

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adapting teaching to enable these pupils to learn very well. For example, staff provide additional resources, break down tasks and provide highly effective adult support. Pupils with SEND achieve very well, like their peers.

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The school prioritises reading. Staff consistently deliver the school’s phonics programme. They carefully match books to the sounds that pupils are learning. Pupils learn to read fluently and with comprehension. Those who require it receive the necessary support to help them read with confidence. The school nurtures a love of reading. Older pupils take pride in managing the library. They speak knowledgably about their favourite books and authors.

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Children get off to a great start in the early years. Staff establish routines quickly. Conversations with adults are meaningful. Children enjoy times to play and learn. They enthusiastically engage in daily yoga sessions. Leaders successfully nurture children’s literacy and numeracy. Staff support children’s personal, social and emotional development well. Children learn very well.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development very well. Pupils have varied opportunities to be involved in the community. The school’s personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum supports pupils’ personal development well. Pupils learn how to be healthy. For example, they learn about the importance of diet and exercise. They learn about healthy friendships and relationships. Older pupils receive age-appropriate relationships and sex education. Pupils learn about risk and how to keep themselves safe, including when in the community and when online.

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The school successfully develops pupils’ character to be cooperative and to reflect carefully on their own attitudes and behaviours. However, while promoting respect for difference, the school has not fully embedded its approach to building pupils’ understanding of equality and diversity, and some aspects of British values, such as democracy.

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Overwhelmingly, staff love working at the school. They are proud of the pupils and what the school offers. Staff are valued. They appreciate leaders’ support with their workload and well-being.

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Leaders, including those with responsibility for governance, know the school well. Leadership is founded on clear values and principles. The trust supports and challenges leaders appropriately. Leaders successfully build on the school’s many strengths.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 28 and 29 November 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, staff focus more on classroom activities, rather than on the intended learning. As a result, pupils do not always learn as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that staff consistently make appropriate pedagogical choices that enable pupils to know, understand and do more over time.  The school has not fully embedded its approach to summative assessment in all subjects. As a result, staff do not know with confidence what pupils know and remember over time in some subjects. The school should ensure that effective summative assessment is in place for foundation subjects, so that staff know what pupils have learned and what they need to learn next.  Pupils gain from a well-structured approach to PSHE. However, some aspects are not as effectively learned as others. As a result, pupils do not gain as deep an appreciation of equality and diversity, and some aspects of fundamental British

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

values, as they should. The school must ensure that pupils are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

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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). 28 and 29 November 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Gaddesby Primary School converted to become an academy in October 2012. The school is part of Bradgate Education Partnership, a multi-academy trust. The school has a local advisory board (LAB) which was established in 2020. The LAB has delegated responsibilities from the board of trustees.  The headteacher took up post in September 2016. New senior leaders have been appointed since the previous inspection.  In 2015, the school increased in size and is registered to admit up to 210 pupils.  The school does not use the services of any 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 28 and 29 November 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders.  Inspectors met with trustees, including the chair, trust officers and the chair of the LAB.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, geography and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited sample lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They listened to pupils read.  Inspectors considered a wide range of other subjects, including computing, geography, science, religious education, French, music and PSHE. They visited lessons in these subjects. They reviewed curriculum planning and samples of pupils’ PSHE work. They visited an assembly.

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 Inspectors met with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and reviewed provision for pupils with SEND.  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 of safeguarding that puts pupils’ needs first.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation. They looked at the school’s website and published information about the school’s provision. They reviewed the school’s policies, self-evaluation and development plan.  Inspectors considered the views of parents who completed Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They spoke with parents at the start of the school day. They reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s survey for school staff.

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joanne Sanchez-Thompson Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 November 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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