John Gulson Primary School

Inspection of John Gulson Primary School George Street, Coventry, West Midlands CV1 4HB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 11 and 12 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

John Gulson Primary School places inclusivity at the heart of everything it does. The school values everyone, adult or pupil, as an individual and as a member of the school family. A warm welcome awaits as you enter the school and happy, smiley faces are everywhere. Pupils are very polite and eager to share their pride in the school. They have excellent manners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school welcomes pupils from many nationalities. While pointing out the numerous flags that decorate the corridor, one pupil said, ‘We are proud of our diversity.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy in school. They feel safe and are safe. They know that they can share any worries or questions with adults in school and they will help to put things right. Pupils do not see bullying as an issue in school. Pupils play happily together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons and at other times of the day is good. The school is calm and orderly. Pupils listen well to adults and each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all its pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school maximises every opportunity to raise pupils’ expectations and life experiences. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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better?

The school recognises the diverse needs of its community. It works relentlessly to meet these needs. The school has designed the curriculum to enrich pupils’ lives and give them the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.

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better?

The school has planned the curriculum in a logical sequence that helps pupils build on past knowledge and make links between learning. Attractive displays, including work from all pupils, help pupils learn and consolidate learning. Art galleries in corridors celebrate the developing skills and talents of all pupils. Vibrant outdoor learning sessions enhance many aspects of the curriculum, including developing vocabulary and social skills.

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better?

Teachers know what they should teach and how the curriculum develops over time. This helps staff teach well and adapt their teaching successfully to meet the needs of pupils, including those with SEND. Support staff skilfully transfer from a pupils’ home language to English. This helps pupils who speak English as an additional language access the learning. They quickly learn to speak and understand English.

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better?

Reading is prioritised by the school. Books are everywhere and cover a range of issues and themes. The teaching of early reading starts in the Nursery with rhymes and stories. The school follows its chosen phonic scheme faithfully. All staff receive training and have access to ongoing support. This helps them teach phonics well. 11 and 12 June 2024

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Pupils enjoy reading and learn to read with increasing confidence, fluency and understanding. Pupils across the school enjoy listening to staff read stories that have been carefully chosen to develop vocabulary and a love of reading.

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In subjects such as English, mathematics, history and religious education, staff use assessment well. Staff know what to assess to ensure pupils have learned the intended curriculum. In a few subjects, such as the creative arts, the use of assessment is less well embedded. Additionally, assessment within lessons is not used consistently well in all classes, including in the Nursery and Reception classes. This means occasionally teachers do not identify gaps in learning or misconceptions pupils have or provide pupils with the resources or support they need to help them learn well.

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Pupils with SEND receive strong support. The school quickly identifies and meets their needs. Pupils who spend time in ‘Nests or Nestlings’ receive effective personalised support. This ensures pupils are happy, safe and thriving, and that they are ready for the next stage in their education.

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Children in early years are happy and well cared for. They develop the early reading and number skills they need. However, the environment and the curriculum are not as well developed as they should be. The school knows that, following a period of staffing instability, the curriculum needs to be enhanced. It has already begun to take positive steps to address this. Nevertheless, children do not always receive the guidance they need to learn well in all areas of learning.

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Personal development provision is exemplary. The school has developed a strong personal, social, health education curriculum, including the teaching of protected characteristics. The school includes everyone, without fail, in all activities. The wealth of clubs, visitors and visits carefully planned by the school enriches pupils’ lives, talents and aspirations.

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Pupils have an excellent understanding of fundamental British values and relate them to school values. Pupils learn about different religions and places of worship. The school prepares pupils extremely well for life in today’s world.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment is not consistently well used in some subjects and some year groups. This means teachers do not always identify pupils who need further help or have misconceptions. The school should ensure that teachers know how to 11 and 12 June 2024

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systematically check learning in their subjects so that they can identify pupils who need further help.  The planned learning opportunities in the early years do not consistently develop children’s learning and purposeful play. As a result, children do not always engage in learning opportunities fully and some learning opportunities are missed. The school should develop and enhance the curriculum and learning environment to ensure children receive the important learning experiences they need to achieve well in all areas of learning.

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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). 11 and 12 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 and 30 March 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.  The school has achieved the silver standard of the Rights Respecting School Award.

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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.  This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluations.  During the inspection, the inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, English, mathematics, history. For each deep dive, the inspectors 11 and 12 June 2024

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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. The inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects, visited sample lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, two senior leaders, other leaders within the school and teaching staff. The lead inspector also met with six members of the governing body, including the chair.  The lead inspector met with key staff responsible for safeguarding and checked the single central record and procedures for the recruitment of staff. She discussed procedures and policies relating to safeguarding and the welfare of pupils.  Inspectors watched pupils’ behaviour in class and at other times during the day and spoke with parents, staff and pupils about behaviour.

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 The lead inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  An inspector spoke with parents at the end of the school day. The lead inspector considered responses, including free-text comments, to the Ofsted Parent View online questionnaire and Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  The lead inspector evaluated the school’s website and publicly produced information.

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Inspection team

Tina Willmott, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Cadwallader Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 June 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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