Gayton Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 February 2023

Gayton Junior School is a happy school. Pupils arrive with smiles on their faces. Many parents report how keen their children are to go to school. One parent said, 'I am happy because my child is happy.' Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Pupils work hard to keep to the school rules as everyone wants to be a 'super student'. In lessons, they listen attentively. They do their very best, and relish challenge. They work cooperatively in pairs or groups. The school buzzes as pupils learn together. Pupils' positive behaviour continues at playtime and lunchtime. Staff and pupils enjoy strong relationships that are built on respect for each other. Pupils feel safe in school. They say that there will always be someone in school who willingly listens to them if they have a concern. They know that bullying is not accepted. They are confident that if it happens, it is stopped. Leaders' high expectations extend well beyond pupils' academic success. The 'Gayton passport of experiences' is a promise that every pupil will have a wide range of opportunities during their time at the school. These include baking a cake, flying a kite, camping outside overnight and creating a piece of music.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember is not as precisely identified as it is in others. In these subjects, it is not as clear how pupils' knowledge builds over time. Leaders should make certain that all curriculum plans explicitly identify this essential knowledge, ensuring that prior learning provides a firm foundation for later learning.
• In a few lessons, teachers do not make activity choices that support pupils to acquire the intended learning as well as they could. In these lessons, pupils' learning is slowed as the key knowledge that teachers want pupils to learn is not fully clear. This confuses pupils about what they are meant to be learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers provide pupils with tasks that focus on the intended learning.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)