Goathland Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 July 2024

Pupils are proud to attend this small, rural school. The relationships between staff and pupils are nurturing. Pupils are confident, happy and safe. The school is aspirational for pupils. The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is well considered. However, the school's curriculum is not as well developed as it needs to be. The school has recently introduced new curriculum plans. These plans are not fully embedded. In some subjects, there are gaps in what pupils know and can do. The small, mixed-age classes develop strong relationships between pupils. Pupils work together well in lessons and are keen to contribute their ideas. Behaviour is very positive across the school. Pupils treat each other with high levels of respect. They play together wonderfully. Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. Pupils learn how to recognise risks and keep themselves safe. They know how to use the internet responsibly. The forest school provides regular outdoor learning opportunities, while also developing a sense of pride for the local area and heritage.

What the school should improve

• The school has made widespread curriculum changes in a short period of time. Some of these changes are not sufficiently well established. This means, in some subjects, pupils do not have the breadth of understanding they need to support new learning. The school should prioritise completion of its curriculum improvement work in order to ensure there is an effective and ambitious curriculum that builds pupils' understanding securely over time.
• Some of the school's assessment systems are not accurately matched to the important subject knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in each year group. As a result, the school does not recognise where pupils have gaps in their knowledge and is not able to fill these gaps in a timely manner. This is limiting pupils' achievement in some subjects. The school should review how it checks what pupils know and can remember in order to ensure that pupils have the essential knowledge they need to support the next stage in their learning.
• The school does not consistently identify, or address, gaps in pupils' phonics knowledge. This means that some pupils who need additional help in reading do not get the effective and timely support they need. The school should ensure that gaps in pupils' reading knowledge are addressed effectively and quickly.

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