Gislingham Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Gislingham Church of England Primary School Broadfields Road, Gislingham, Eye, Suffolk IP23 8HX

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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 Richard Benstock. This school is part of The Tilian Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Andrew Berry, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Stephen Yapp.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Gislingham Church of England 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. 16 and 17 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school thrive and achieve well. They make strong progress during their time at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

It is a very happy and inclusive school. Pupils welcome new starters and make sure they are included in their play and social circles. They look out for each other, and the older pupils help younger ones without being asked. Everyone is accepted for who they are, no matter what their needs may be. Pupils feel safe and well cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are expected to work hard, and they do. The school has high expectations for what they can achieve; many pupils achieve a high standard academically by the time they leave. They are enthusiastic about the topics they study and want to find out more. Their academic learning is supported by lots of other activities, such as learning the guitar and acting in Shakespeare’s plays at a local theatre.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is excellent. Low-level disruption is extremely rare. Pupils are very polite. They are proud to show off their achievements, for example presenting to an international food producer about using sustainable, local products.

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better?

The curriculum in English and mathematics enables pupils to achieve highly by the end of school. Staff have received helpful training. Their teaching is clear and well adapted to meet the needs of different pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff make effective use of visuals and apparatus in subjects such as mathematics and science, to help pupils to understand complex ideas. As a result, pupils’ knowledge and skills in these areas are well developed.

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better?

Most of the wider curriculum is well planned. Teachers use and adapt schemes well to meet the needs of their classes. Pupils have their learning enhanced by role play and visits out, for example being an Egyptian for the day. In a few areas of the curriculum, what is taught does not build as well on what has come before. When this is the case, pupils do not develop their skills to the same high levels of achievement as they do in other subjects.

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better?

Reading is taught to a high standard. The school makes sure that pupils practise the exact sounds and trickier words that they need to become confident readers. Pupils read often. Any pupil at risk of falling behind gets additional support, both working with adults and using software that focuses on individuals’ gaps in knowledge. This is also the case for pupils with SEND. These pupils have highly individualised programmes in place to help them catch up or make strong progress from their starting points. 16 and 17 April 2024

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Vocabulary is a core theme in all lessons. Adults in the early years expertly weave new words and those they have covered in teaching into children’s play. The school makes sure that children in the early years practise writing regularly, using pencil and paper.

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Pupils learn about fundamental British values in lessons and assemblies. They show their excellent understanding of qualities such as respect and resilience through their everyday behaviour. Various councils are elected and are able to develop pupils’ ideas. For example, following a suggestion from a school council member, the pupils organised a careers day. Pupils further organise their own ways to make a difference to the school, for example starting a school newspaper.

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Pupils behave extremely well. Older pupils model the high standards of behaviour to younger ones, who copy this and learn the routines and expectations. It is a school where pupils genuinely value each and every member of their community. They celebrate successes with great enthusiasm. Pupils are motivated to work hard and keep going, even when the task is difficult.

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The school works closely with families to ensure that pupils attend school regularly and on time.

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Pupils learn about different cultures and ways of life in religious education and geography lessons. However, their understanding of world issues and what life is like elsewhere in Britain is not as highly developed as other areas of knowledge.

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Staff appreciate the professional development they have received from the multi- academy trust. They also value the fact they are given time to pursue their own professional development interests. The impact of all this training is evident in the high-quality day-to-day lessons. Governors and leaders work closely together to ensure that the school makes the best use of its resources.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few subjects are not planned out to the same high standard as others. Where this is the case, learning does not build or link to pupils’ prior learning. Pupils do not make the same strong progress over time as they do in other subjects. The school needs to ensure that pupils are given the opportunities to appropriately build knowledge and skills on what has come before, from early years into key stage 1 and beyond.  The teaching about other cultures, and global news, has not had as strong an impact as the school intended. This means that pupils’ knowledge about wider 16 and 17 April 2024

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world issues and life in modern Britain is not as deep as it is in other areas of the curriculum. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum taught enables pupils to develop stronger knowledge about life beyond the local area.

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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). 16 and 17 April 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Tilian Partnership (a multi-academy trust).  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school is a Church of England school. The most recent section 48 inspection (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) was in January 2020. The next inspection will be due within eight years of this.  The school has its own breakfast and after-school clubs.

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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. 16 and 17 April 2024

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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 teachers. They met with the chief executive officer and other trust staff. They met with members of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, art and design and science. For each subject, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with teachers and pupils.  Inspectors visited a range of other subject lessons and looked at a wide range of curriculum plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s parent and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mireille MacRaild His Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 April 2024

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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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