Ghyllgrove Primary School

Inspection of Ghyllgrove Primary School The Gore, Basildon, Essex SS14 2BG

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school because they know that teachers are going to help them to be smarter. The positive professional relationships that pupils have with adults help them to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff encourage pupils to work hard. Pupils are proud when their efforts are praised. They love to celebrate each other’s achievements in weekly celebration assemblies. The school encourages pupils to do their best using rewards such as a class bowling outing. The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those in the early years and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Overall, pupils achieve well. Pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND, are fully integrated into school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and considerate of others. Lessons are calm. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy opportunities to learn outside of the classroom, such as trips to Colchester Castle or a walk to the local library. Pupils can also attend a range of clubs to extend their interests and talents. Having these opportunities helps pupils broaden their horizons, which they value.

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

There have been significant improvements at the school in recent years. The school has reviewed the curriculum and has implemented a broad, ambitious and balanced curriculum that starts in the early years.

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

In most subjects, the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should have has been identified clearly. In these subjects, the knowledge has been set out so that it builds on what pupils already know. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to revisit important knowledge and skills. This helps pupils to remember and use this knowledge easily. However, this is not the case in a small number of subjects. In these subjects, teachers are less confident in teaching new knowledge and vocabulary. Pupils do not build as effectively on what they already know. In these subjects, pupils have some gaps in their learning and do not always achieve as well as they should.

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

The school prioritises teaching pupils to read. Children in the early years learn phonics quickly. Pupils build on this foundation in Year 1. Pupils read books that help them to apply their learning of letters and sounds to their reading. Teachers frequently check how well pupils are learning to read. This means they can quickly identify any pupils who need to catch up and put effective extra support in place quickly. Teachers read to pupils regularly. Teachers model how to read with expression. This helps pupils to develop a love for reading and become fluent and confident readers.

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

Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers, which teachers adapt carefully to meet their needs. Some pupils have additional help that meets their learning 24 and 25 September 2024

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needs well. Pupils in the specially resourced provision for those with SEND benefit from effective provision. As a result of effective teaching and suitable adaptations, pupils with SEND make strong progress through the curriculum in most subjects.

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Pupils, including children in the early years, are respectful and friendly. There are clear routines in place. Adults model the behaviour that they expect. In most cases, pupils focus on their learning and listen to their teachers. Pupils’ learning is rarely disturbed by others’ behaviour. On the rare occasions when disruption does happen, teachers address it quickly and follow the school’s behaviour policy consistently.

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The school has explored the reasons why some pupils are absent too often. It has developed stronger, supportive relationships with families and works with them to help overcome barriers to regular attendance. As a result, pupils’ attendance is improving quickly.

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The school’s provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength. Staff care for pupils well. The school’s personal, social, health and economic curriculum focuses on well-being, being safe and living in the wider world. Pupils learn about healthy relationships, staying safe online and why they should understand and respect difference. Opportunities, such as joining the school council, help pupils to take part in democratic processes and consider the views of others.

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The governing body offers effective challenge and support to school leaders. Governors have the expertise needed to help improve the school. Governors take account of staff well-being, including that of school leaders. Staff enjoy working at the school and feel well supported. School leaders are considerate of staff workload when making any changes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the recently implemented curriculum does not identify clearly the vocabulary and knowledge that pupils should learn over time. As a result, teaching is not sharply focused on ensuring pupils secure new learning or build effectively on what they have learned before. The school should ensure that the curriculum, and how it is taught, enables pupils to secure new learning so that they achieve well across the full range of subjects.

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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 24 and 25 September 2024

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Heather Faulkner

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School details

Website www.ghyllgroveprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has appointed a new chair of governors.  The school appointed a new headteacher in September 2023.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. It caters for seven pupils who are deaf.  The school shares its site with a provision that supports pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. No pupils on the school roll attend this provision, and it was not considered as part of this inspection.  The school has three-year-old children in the Nursery class.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 24 and 25 September 2024

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  Inspectors met with a range of leaders, including the headteacher and other senior leaders, the special educational needs coordinators and the qualified teacher of the deaf.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and music. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders and the senior leadership team, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’

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work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a known adult. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector met with the local authority school improvement adviser.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took into account the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which leaders had created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents and policies, including the school improvement plan and minutes of governing body meetings.  The inspectors considered the views of parents through responses to the Ofsted online survey, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors gathered the views of staff through the online staff survey, as well as interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection. They also considered the views of pupils through the online pupil survey.

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 The lead inspector spoke to a representative from the alternative provision.

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Inspection team

Suzanne Thrower, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Shadbolt Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

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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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