Gladstone Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 June 2026

Pupils at Gladstone Primary Academy know their ‘SMARTS’. The school’s values of supportive, motivated, aim high, respectful, team player and safe underpin school life. From these, pupils understand and celebrate their own ‘smart’ such as being ‘body smart’, ‘self smart’ or ‘number smart’. In this way, pupils recognise their own strengths and those of others. Pupils feel valued and enjoy school. Leaders have established a culture of high expectations. Pupils rise to these high expectations and are now achieving well. Leaders ensure that staff understand any barriers to learning which pupils may have. On the whole, staff remove these wherever possible. Pupils make positive progress from their starting points. This prepares them well for their next stage of education. Pupils form positive relationships with staff and each other. From the very beginning of the school day, effective routines enable them to settle in to learning. Pupils are attentive in lessons and play cooperatively together at social times. On the rare occasions that bullying takes place, leaders take effective steps to stop it from happening again. Pupils have trusted adults who they can rely on to support them and keep them safe. Pupils attend school regularly because leaders have established a culture where this is the norm. Pupils learn about and discuss the wider world. They regularly discuss ‘big questions’ such as the environment or cultural awareness. Pupils say ‘we are all equally different’. They understand that it is important to treat others fairly no matter what. In this way they learn to become tolerant and respectful of views different to their own. Leaders ensure that pupils gain a range of experiences that they otherwise may not receive. For example, pupils visit the seaside or go skiing. This enables pupils to be aspirational for later life.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that staff consistently deliver the school's curriculum effectively, focusing on the important learning that pupils need to remember over time and making sure that pupils respond to any feedback given.
• Leaders should support staff so that they draw from the training provided to ensure that adaptations to learning are carefully tailored to pupils' needs in order to successfully reduce any barriers.

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