Gretton Primary School

Gretton Primary School

Address: Gretton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 5EY Unique reference number (URN): 137854

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have established a culture where pupils are expected to attend school regularly. Furthermore, pupils' enjoyment of school means that they do not want to miss a day of their education. Leaders have a deep understanding of the school community. They work closely with families and provide bespoke support where needed to address barriers to attendance. As a result, pupils' overall attendance is consistently in line with national averages. Rates of persistent absence are similarly in line with national figures and show a continued trend of improvement.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have successfully introduced a new behaviour system to reduce low-level disruption in lessons. They implemented this thoughtfully and with precision. Staff and pupils have a clear understanding of the different stages of the system and how they are applied. As a result, pupils behave well throughout the school day. Pupils speak positively about how learning is no longer disrupted by their peers. Occasionally, when the curriculum is not well matched to pupils' needs, a few pupils disengage. Gretton is a school where kindness towards each other prevails in all classes. Bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly by staff when any incidents occur.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have successfully addressed much of the variability in teaching since the last inspection. This has been achieved despite the additional challenges of some changes in teaching staff. Standards of teaching across the school have improved, and teachers typically deliver the curriculum well. This is because staff have embraced the training on offer to help them improve their practice. Teachers follow leaders' agreed approaches to teaching. As a result, the curriculum is implemented as intended. This is especially the case in early reading, where teachers now teach the phonics code with greater rigour.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Where teaching is particularly effective, teachers use precise questioning to deepen pupils' thinking. However, teachers do not always use what they know about pupils' prior learning effectively enough. This is particularly the case for pupils who have already secured the intended learning. At times, these pupils are not provided with work that extends their knowledge and understanding or offers sufficient challenge.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The historic weaknesses in teaching have resulted in some older pupils having gaps in their knowledge and skills, particularly in mathematics, spelling and handwriting. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Teachers are alert to this and are addressing these gaps, but leaders know there is still more to do for some pupils to catch up fully.

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Early years Expected standard

Like many other parts of the school, the early years has improved recently. Leaders have an ambitious curriculum that continues to be refined to reflect the changing needs of each cohort. This helps to address any weaker areas in children's development. Teachers typically implement the curriculum well. They recognise that the proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of the early years has not been as high as it should be. Staff have made changes to the provision to ensure that children get more time to practise new learning independently. This helps them to grasp essential concepts, such as number recognition, more securely.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders successfully tackle the challenge of children entering the school from a high number of different settings. Through close contact with these different providers and parents and carers, leaders ensure they understand each child's unique personality and needs. This also helps staff to identify those with special educational needs and/or disabilities early and to provide the right support for them. As a result, children's transition into school is a smooth one. Staff quickly build warm and caring relationships with children. This helps children to quickly feel confident and happy in their new environment.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Gretton is a school for all pupils. Leaders have robust systems in place that quickly identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), starting in the early years. Staff set precise and measurable targets for pupils. This helps to ensure that most pupils make the progress they are capable of from their starting points. Leaders and staff regularly review the impact of the adaptations they make. Generally, the support pupils receive helps pupils with SEND to learn well. At times, staff make adaptations that do not fully consider the barriers that pupils have, which means they struggle occasionally to access their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders develop trusting relationships with parents and carers of pupils with SEND. They work well with external professionals, making effective use of their advice and expertise. This helps to foster a collaborative approach of everyone working together in the best interests of pupils.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school's use of the government's additional funding for disadvantaged pupils has a positive impact. It helps to ensure that most disadvantaged pupils attend well and can access the full range of extra-curricular activities.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use alternative provision only when it is best placed to meet pupils’ identified needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The school has benefited from joining the trust. Leaders work closely with trust colleagues to evaluate the school’s effectiveness. This collaborative approach helps leaders to maintain an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and identify clear priorities for improvement. For example, leaders have successfully strengthened the wider curriculum and ensured that teachers have the subject knowledge and guidance needed to deliver it effectively. As a result, pupils are able to remember more of what they have learned in subjects such as history. Leaders recognise that addressing gaps in older pupils’ knowledge and skills in English remains a key priority and rightly continue to focus their efforts on this area.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Trustees and the local advisory board provide effective support and challenge for leaders. The trust has supported leaders to accelerate improvements in the quality of teaching

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Needs attention

through access to specialist expertise and the sharing of good practice between schools. Trustees and members of the local advisory board fulfil their statutory duties.

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Needs attention

There is a sense of shared purpose across the school community. Staff in all roles speak with pride about working at the school. They describe leaders as approachable and considerate of their workload and wellbeing. Staff value the support they receive and share leaders' vision for Gretton. Parents and carers wholeheartedly feel the school is the right place for their child. They praise leaders for their commitment to the school and for staff knowing pupils as individuals.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have developed a well-considered personal development programme for the school. They place a high emphasis on pupils understanding how to keep mentally healthy. This helps pupils to build their resilience. The school provides additional, bespoke pastoral support for those who need it. Pupils value this and say it helps to ease their worries.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn a comprehensive personal, social and health curriculum. Leaders adapt this so that it meets the needs of the mixed-age classes. This helps pupils to develop an age- appropriate understanding of changes to their bodies. Leaders ensure that pupils learn how people can be different in order to develop an understanding of tolerance. Staff model the importance of equity. This helps pupils to appreciate that some of their peers need additional help in their learning or with their behaviour. Through assemblies, pupils learn about moral issues and the importance of considering those less fortunate than themselves. They put this understanding into practice by raising money for charities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

While leaders ensure that pupils learn about different faiths and cultures, this work is not revisited often enough and so does not extend pupils' knowledge in depth. Pupils have an understanding of fundamental British values and can relate these to their own experiences, including through participation in elections for the school council. They take on a variety of leadership roles to give them a sense of responsibility and a voice in the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school's inclusive ethos is evident in pupils' participation in a wide range of clubs and enrichment opportunities. Staff listen, and act upon, pupils' requests for new clubs to help them pursue particular interests. Leaders take effective action to ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities can access these experiences. As a result, participation rates for these groups are high.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils' achievement is improving. However, historical weaknesses in teaching and the curriculum mean that too many pupils leave key stage 2 without the knowledge they need in English and, particularly, mathematics. As a result, the proportion achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics has been below national figures for an extended period of time. Leaders' actions to stabilise and improve teaching have led to younger pupils learning much better than in the past. Pupils learn to read quickly. Younger pupils grasp the basics of handwriting, such as correct pencil grip and accurate letter formation. Leaders have changed the mathematics curriculum so that pupils learn to reason and problem-solve more regularly. However, for some older pupils, their gaps in knowledge have been too pronounced to catch up quickly enough. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities generally make effective progress through the curriculum.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Gretton is a welcoming and happy place in which to learn. Staff establish a calm and positive culture through warm and caring relationships. Pupils feel safe and treat one another with respect. Incidents of bullying are rare. When concerns do arise, staff deal with them effectively.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from the many improvements made in recent years to the quality of education. Previously, pupils did not learn as well as they should as they progressed through the curriculum. This meant that too many pupils moved to secondary school without the essential knowledge they need to succeed. Current pupils learn much better, although for some older pupils, gaps in learning remain. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities typically receive the appropriate support and adaptations that help them to access learning alongside their peers. They are fully included in school life.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly. They have positive attitudes to learning, engage well in lessons and follow adults’ instructions carefully. During social times, pupils play happily together and show consideration for others. Those who prefer quieter activities make use of the ‘Book Nook’ as a calm space to read and reflect. In the early years, children settle quickly into school routines and begin learning successfully from the outset.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils experience life beyond Gretton through a range of opportunities, such as attending a series of residential visits that help them to develop independence and resilience. They take part in a range of trips that deepen their knowledge and understanding of the curriculum. For example, pupils attend a literature festival to help foster a love of reading. Visitors to the school provide further opportunities to enrich pupils’ learning, such as sessions on water safety. Pupils learn the value of teamwork through the school's house system.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that teachers address older pupils’ gaps in knowledge in English and mathematics so that they leave key stage 2 with the knowledge and skills they need to be prepared for secondary school.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place. Leaders should ensure that teaching provides sufficient challenge for pupils who have already secured the intended learning so that they deepen their understanding and achieve as well as they can across the curriculum.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Primary Quest Multi-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), Stephen Dean, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Craig Pumfrey.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

This inspection took place on 9 and 10 September 2026.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders, the CEO, the chair of the trust, the chair of the local advisory board, staff, pupils and parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school joined Primary Quest Multi-Academy Trust in April 2025.

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About this inspection

The school currently makes use of one alternative provision, which is unregistered.

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About this inspection

There have been several changes in staff since the last inspection.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 87 pupils on roll.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Adam Sallis The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 9 September 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (final) 79% 75% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 71% 74% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (final) 71% 72% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 71% 72% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 5.5% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.1% 5.5% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 10.8% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 11.6% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 12.7% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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