Goodly Dale Primary School

Inspection of Goodly Dale Primary School Lake Road, Windermere, Cumbria LA23 2JX

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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 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this small, friendly school. Staff are extremely caring and there is a strong sense of family and belonging. Pupils of all ages get along very well together. Pupils feel confident to be themselves in the school’s supportive atmosphere. Pupils are happy and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and demonstrate a willingness to succeed. They work hard to meet the school’s high expectations for their learning. Typically, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are respectful of others and know that it is important to make everyone feel included, regardless of any differences that they have. In the early years, children settle quickly into school routines and get along well together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the range of wider opportunities that the school provides, for example, after- school activities, such as football, art and outdoor learning. Pupils benefit from many trips that enhance their learning of the curriculum. For instance, everyone enjoys a trip to the lake to take part in water sports.

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

The school has developed a broad, ambitious curriculum that successfully meets the needs of pupils, including those with SEND. In most subjects, the school has carefully considered what pupils should learn, starting from the beginning of the early years. However, in a small number of subjects the school has not clearly set out what pupils should learn in each year. In these subjects, pupils do not remember as much as they should.

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

In most subjects, teachers deliver the curriculum well. They select appropriate activities to help pupils learn and remember important information. Pupils enjoy learning. Children in the early years acquire the skills and knowledge that they need and are well prepared for Year 1.

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

In the main, staff make regular checks on what pupils know and remember. However, on occasion, the gaps and misunderstandings that some pupils develop in their learning are not addressed promptly enough. This means that these pupils move on to new learning before they are ready. As a result, these pupils’ learning is not secure.

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

The school has a robust approach to identifying pupils’ with SEND. Staff support pupils with SEND very well within lessons. For example, staff provide additional resources to help pupils with their learning. The school works with a range of external specialists to support pupils’ emotional well-being.

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

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Starting from early years, staff foster pupils’ enjoyment of reading. Pupils benefit from visits to the local library and reading theme days. From the beginning of the Reception Year, children follow a well-structured phonics 1 and 2 October 2024

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programme. Pupils practise their reading using books that contain the sounds that they already know. Staff provide additional help, should pupils find reading difficult. This enables most pupils to develop into fluent readers in readiness for key stage 2.

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The school has worked hard to improve rates of attendance, and this is beginning to improve. It works closely with parents and carers to overcome any barriers that may prevent their children from attending school as often as they should.

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Pupils demonstrate positive behaviour. The school is usually calm and purposeful. Learning typically proceeds without interruption. Pupils know that positive behaviour is expected each day. The school provides strong support for a small number of pupils who need help to manage their own behaviour.

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The school has thought carefully about how to provide for pupils’ personal development. The curriculum enables pupils to learn about relationships, healthy living and the wider world. Pupils readily take on leadership roles, including school councillors, eco-councillors and community cadets. The school ensures pupils have a good understanding of their local community. They collect money for local charities, enjoy trips to the theatre and visit places of worship.

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Staff appreciate opportunities to successfully work as a team. The school prioritises their well-being and considers their workload carefully. Staff carry out their roles with enjoyment and pride. Leaders, including governors, ensure that the school’s work has a positive impact on all pupils.

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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 school has not identified the key knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. This means that some pupils do not know and remember as much as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum identifies the key information that staff will teach so that pupils can learn all the knowledge set out in the curriculum.  In some subjects, the school has not fully developed assessment systems that allow teachers to check where pupils have missing or insecure knowledge. As a result, teachers do not address pupils’ misunderstandings quickly enough. The school should ensure its assessment systems are effective so that teachers can check accurately what pupils know and understand. 1 and 2 October 2024

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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.

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Website www.goodlydaleprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 June 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides a breakfast and after-school club for pupils.  The school does not make use 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. 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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 1 and 2 October 2024

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.  Inspectors conducted deep dives into these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They listened to pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders and teachers.  An inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences of school, during meetings and

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around school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Emma Jackson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Rachael Alarcon Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 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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