Goosewell Primary Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Goosewell Primary Academy Goosewell Road, Plymstock, Plymouth, Devon PL9 9HD

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Outcome

Goosewell Primary Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Laura Warren. This school is part of Reach South Academy Trust which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Dean Ashton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Marcus Agius.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are proud to be part of this inclusive and happy school. Staff form positive relationships with pupils and their families. Pupils demonstrate the high expectations the school has of their behaviour and achievement. They move around the school showing courtesy and kindness towards each other and adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They are keen to share their ideas and follow the guidance their teachers give them. Pupils value their learning. This same ethos is evident in the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Adults support pupils with SEND effectively. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is determined that all pupils benefit from and play an active part in the life of the school and beyond. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the ‘rise to greatness award’ and believe that anything is possible. They take on leadership roles, including head students, active leaders and house captains. The school supports the many pupils from military families. They celebrate the ‘Armed Forces Day’ and run a field gun club, for example. Pupils enjoy supporting a range of different charities and know they can make a difference. These experiences help to prepare pupils for their future role as responsible citizens. 25 and 26 March 2025

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

The curriculum is well thought out and carefully designed in many subjects. The school has identified the most important knowledge they want pupils to learn and by when. This supports pupils to build knowledge sequentially. Most pupils achieve well in the national assessments. As a result, pupils are suitably prepared for the next stage in their education.

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

Reading is a golden thread that runs through the school. Children in Reception Year learn to recognise letters and sounds as soon as they join the school. The strong focus on communication and language supports children to develop vocabulary in a range of different contexts. Staff are experts in the teaching of early reading. They quickly spot pupils who are at risk of falling behind. These pupils receive the help they need to become effective and fluent readers. Pupils in the early stages of reading have books that match the sounds they know. Staff create a buzz around reading. Pupils talk with great enthusiasm about the ‘masked reader’. They read often and appreciate the tokens they can exchange for a book.

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

The school has improved the way that it checks pupils’ learning. It uses strategies that help pupils to remember the most important curriculum content. Despite this, pupils’ learning is variable across subjects. At times, teaching moves onto new concepts before checking that pupils have learned the intended content well enough. Consequently, in some subjects, pupils do not build knowledge sequentially and misconceptions are not addressed.

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

Pupils follow the school’s ‘golden rules’. This begins in Reception Year, where children learn the routines and are keen to ‘reach the moon’ on the rewards chart. Pupils are polite and welcoming. They hold doors open for adults and visitors. Older pupils are positive role models, organising games for the younger children. Pupils of all ages play together during breaktime and lunchtime. This makes playtime an enjoyable experience for all.

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

The school is forensic in their analysis of attendance information. It works closely with families to understand and overcome barriers to regular attendance. This is having a positive impact and reducing absence.

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

Pupils’ opportunities outside of the classroom are wide and varied. The school leaves nothing to chance. Pupils talk with confidence about the fundamental British values. They know that democracy is important and experience this when pupils vote for the class representatives. Pupils are taught about individual liberty and how they have a right to express themselves freely. Through the personal, social and health education curriculum, pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet. They speak with maturity about healthy relationships, consent and personal space.

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

The school has created an environment where pupils and their families feel they ‘belong’. Many parents and carers recognise the difference the school has made to them and their children. Equally, staff enjoy being part of the school family. Leaders are considerate of staff’s workload and well-being. They feel valued and well supported. 25 and 26 March 2025

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The school and trust leaders have a clear understanding of the schools’ strengths and priorities. The trustees and local governors understand their roles well. They provide an appropriate level of challenge and support. The school is not complacent. It is determined to drive improvement to continue to provide a high quality of education for 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 some subjects, assessment is not used effectively to check for and correct pupils’ misconceptions or gaps in their knowledge. This affects how well some pupils build knowledge over time. The trust should ensure that it supports teachers to refine assessment practices so that pupils build knowledge cumulatively and adapt the curriculum to address any gaps in what pupils know and remember.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in December 2019. 25 and 26 March 2025

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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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 3 and 4 December 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Goosewell Primary Academy is part of the Reach South Academy Trust.  The headteacher took up their post in September 2023.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 The inspector met with school leaders, the chair of the local governing board, a representative from the trust board and trust leaders.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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 inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also looked at responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Wendy D’Arcy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 March 2025

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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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