Gosford Park Primary School

Inspection of Gosford Park Primary School Humber Avenue, Coventry, West Midlands CV1 2SF

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 12 and 13 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Gosford Park is a friendly school. There is a strong and caring ethos. Adults build warm relationships with pupils. Pupils spoke positively about their teachers and their lessons. They typically said that the ‘teachers are amazing, they never doubt us and they are always there for us.’ Pupils feel safe and enjoy coming to school. They know who their trusted adults are.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be members of the school community and say that everyone is respected. One pupil, who reflected the views of many, stated, ‘We are one community; many cultures, growing and learning together.’ Generally, pupils follow the school rules in lessons. However, this is variable during less structured times, such as lunchtime when pupils find it harder to exercise self-control.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has developed a curriculum that is suitably ambitious for pupils. However, the curriculum is not implemented consistently well, including in the early years. Expectations for some pupils are not high enough. Some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is a strength. They enjoy developing their interests in several activities, including athletics and dodgeball. Pupils are eager to take on responsibilities in school, such as librarians and play leaders. They enjoy community events, such as litter picking and school trips. Pupils develop into active and responsible citizens.

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

The curriculum is well structured and meets the demands of the national curriculum. However, the school does not always check how well the curriculum is helping pupils to learn. As a result, the curriculum is not appropriately adapted to address the gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This means that pupils’ achievement, particularly in mathematics, is not improving over time.

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

There is a sequenced phonics curriculum in place and pupils’ reading books match the sounds that they are learning. Staff have received appropriate training. However, the teaching of phonics is not consistently strong. This means that some pupils are not learning their letter sounds as quickly as they should. Some pupils, particularly those at the early stages of learning to read, are not reading well enough. This is because they do not have regular opportunities to read to an adult. On occasions, some pupils do not use the reading skills that they have been taught when they read aloud.

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

In lessons, teachers demonstrate learning well and this means that pupils know what they need to do. Teachers ask questions which encourage pupils to think carefully about their work. However, at times, some pupils become distracted and do not learn as quickly, or as much, as they could because work is not sufficiently challenging enough.

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

The school has recently strengthened its approaches to attendance. This means that pupil absence is more closely checked and an increased number of absences are followed up 12 and 13 November 2024

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with a home visit. However, it is too early to see the impact of these changes and currently absence is still too high.

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The school identifies the learning needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Staff are trained to understand how to meet the needs of these pupils. Leaders have ensured that pupils with more specialist needs have appropriate provision. This means that pupils with SEND are making progress towards their targets.

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Children in the early years are happy to be at school. The adults that they work with understand their needs. However, activities and resources are not consistently well thought through, including outdoors, to ensure that children are learning at all times. When adults interact with children, these interactions do not focus on improving children’s knowledge, communication or basic skills. Too often, valuable learning time is wasted. This means that, by the end of the Reception Year, many children are not well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Pupils benefit from a well-structured personal, social and health education curriculum that teaches them how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They understand the importance of good mental health for themselves and others. Pupils learn to respect others, including those who differ from themselves.

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There has been a lot of change since the previous inspection. This was initially unsettling for some staff. However, there is now a period of stability. Teachers are committed to the pupils and the school. Teachers say that leaders are mindful of their well-being. They are proud to work at the school.

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Following positive changes to strengthen the knowledge and expertise of the governing body, governors understand their duties and are starting to provide a suitable level of challenge and support to the school. They are committed to improving the quality of education that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school is not sufficiently robust enough in identifying the impact of the curriculum on pupils’ learning. Consequently, the most effective actions are not put into place and, therefore, outcomes are not improving. The school should ensure that monitoring activities focus on the impact of the curriculum to enable the school to take appropriate action to make the improvements needed. 12 and 13 November 2024

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 High-quality and regular support for pupils at the early stages of reading is too variable and in some cases strategies for developing fluency are not always continued beyond the phonics programme. This means that some pupils are not learning to read as well as they should. The school should ensure that pupils at the early stages of learning to read have regular opportunities to practise and are encouraged to use strategies taught to help them become independent readers.  The school has not identified gaps in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, pupils do not develop a deep understanding of their learning in some subjects, including in mathematics. The school should ensure that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are identified and addressed and that all pupils achieve well.  Some pupils’ absence is too high. These pupils are missing their education too often. The school should embed their approach to supporting and challenging some parents

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to ensure that their children attend more often and, therefore, benefit from the school’s provision.  The activities and resources that are provided to children in the early years lack focus and opportunities to develop communication are limited. Consequently, children do not learn as well as they should. The school should ensure that all activities have a sharp focus on what children should achieve with increased, high-quality interactions with adults.

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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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 June 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  There is a before-school club managed by the school.  The school has nursery 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 a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 12 and 13 November 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior leaders and members of staff. The lead inspector held a meeting with members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Deep dives were carried out in reading, mathematics, history, science and physical education. These included discussions with subject leaders, visits to lessons and scrutiny of work. The inspectors also spoke to pupils and listened to pupils read to a staff member.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum in some other subjects and reviewed pupils’ work.  A range of documents were scrutinised, including leaders’ self-evaluation, improvement and curriculum documents, and the school website. Minutes of governors’ meetings were also considered. The inspector also looked at pupils’ attendance and behaviour

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records.  Inspectors considered responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments. They also took account of responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.  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.

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Inspection team

Melonie Davies, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Helen Lowe Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 November 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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