Gooderstone Church of England Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Gooderstone Church of England Primary Academy The Street, Gooderstone, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE33 9BP

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Outcome

Gooderstone Church of England Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Sarah Godbold. This school is part of Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust (DNEAT), which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Oliver Burwood, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by William Crawshay.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely happy at school. Whether they start in early years, or join later, they benefit equally well from warm relationships with their peers and the adults. The mixed- age classes work very well to support pupils to make friends with their older and younger peers. Pupils learn well alongside each other and demonstrate high levels of respect and consideration towards others. They are consistently kind to each other. Pupils know that adults are quick to support them if ever they may need it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The high expectations that adults have for pupils’ academic success are clearly mapped out and understood by all. Pupils are keen to meet these high standards. They are proud of what they learn and achieve. In assemblies, pupils present confidently about what they learned on their ‘no plan’ enrichment days. Behaviour is consistently strong, both in and out of lessons. Pupils display excellent levels of independence and self-control.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in Nursery and Reception are very well taken care of. Their environment, both indoor and outdoor, is extremely well designed to meet their different developmental needs. Children develop their communication skills very well. They love the songs and rhymes that they sing with adults. 28 June 2024

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has implemented an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of the pupils in this rural community. Leaders’ vision to support pupils to become happy and well- rounded individuals has been realised.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum has been inspired, in part, by the natural surroundings of the local area. Teachers make sure that pupils use the beautiful grounds well to develop physically, spiritually and academically. Within the woodland area, children learn about trees and insects. They develop the skills they need to play well together and form good friendships. They show high levels of curiosity and confidence as they move tree stumps, and climb and balance on equipment.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The well-designed curriculum meets the needs of pupils of different ages who learn in the same classroom. Teachers are skilled at delivering lessons which support pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding over time. Teachers have a good awareness of what pupils may struggle with. When they introduce new information, they use questioning well to identify and address any misconceptions. There are regular checks in place to see whether pupils have learned the curriculum. Teachers use this information well to adapt their teaching. This prevents pupils developing gaps in their understanding.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has appropriate systems in place to make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly. The school has a good understanding of their barriers to learning. They have put plans in place to support pupils with SEND. In the main, pupils with SEND achieve well alongside their peers. However, sometimes the targets on pupils’ support plans are too broad. It is not always clear enough how teachers should best support pupils to do well against these targets.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has ensured that pupils are appropriately supported to develop the skills and knowledge they need to learn to read fluently. Adults are well trained to deliver the phonics programme in the way that the school intends. Pupils are confident in segmenting and blending words. They are proud and positive about their reading skills. If pupils fall behind, they quickly receive extra support which helps them to keep up.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff have high expectations for how pupils should behave. There are clear routines in place which pupils follow. This allows the adults to support other pupils effectively in the classroom. Pupils learn well in lessons because there is very little disruption. The school has helpful and supportive processes in place which ensure that pupils’ attendance remains high.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school prioritises the provision for pupils’ wider personal development. There is a strong and meaningful emphasis on listening to pupils’ views and what they care about. All year groups benefit from going on interesting trips which develop their interests or enhance their curriculum experience. This includes a visit to a flint mine. There are a wide range of clubs which pupils attend well. They particularly love the opportunities to be active and healthy through clubs such as netball or tae kwon do. 28 June 2024

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The trust has a secure oversight of the school. The members of the local governing body carry out their delegated responsibilities effectively. Trustees and governors have an accurate understanding of the strengths of the school. Leaders support staff well, and staff benefit from a positive working environment.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The plans that are in place for staff to support pupils with SEND are not always sufficiently precise. They do not clearly identify how staff should best support pupils with SEND. The school needs to ensure that the plans for pupils with SEND have clear targets in place and that staff know and understand how to support pupils to meet these targets.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2019.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 28 June 2024

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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 June 2024

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School details

Headteacher Sarah Godbold (executive headteacher)

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School details

Website www.churchsidefederation.norfolk.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 July 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school has a Christian religious character. It is part of the Anglican Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust. The most recent statutory inspection of its religious character, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, took place in March 2017. The next section 48 inspection is due within the next academic year.

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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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 28 June 2024

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visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer, governors and trustees and reviewed documentation relating to governance and school improvement.  The lead inspector scrutinised documentation relating to quality assurance.  Inspectors reviewed attendance records and observed pupils’ behaviour around the site.  The lead inspector scrutinised plans and met with leaders to discuss the school’s approach to pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and reviewed

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documentation relating to pupils with SEND.  The lead inspector spoke to some parents and carers and reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent survey. She also reviewed responses to the trust’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Bessie Owen, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Adam Cooke His Majesty’s Inspector 28 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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