Goldenhill Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 October 2023

Pupils thrive at Goldenhill. They are proud to belong to such a kind and respectful school community. They know that staff care for them and want them to lead successful lives. They feel safe and know whom they can turn to if they have any concerns. Pupils understand why good behaviour is important and find the traffic-light system helpful in achieving this. They like earning rewards and class treats. Pupils work hard in lessons because they are keen to learn. They enjoy reading and achieve well. Many pupils are keen to take on responsibilities that support other pupils, including as reading ambassadors or play leaders. They value having a voice through the academy council they voted for. Pupils support many charities through fundraising activities, including cake sales. Pupils appreciate how the curriculum is enhanced through trips and visitors. This includes performing Shakespeare at the theatre and visiting places of worship. They learn about the different types of jobs they could aim for in the future. Children in early years have loved visits from the emergency services and the local Teddy Bear Hospital. Older pupils explored the skills needed to become architects and actors, for example.

What the school should improve

• Learning activities and resources are not consistently adapted appropriately to meet pupils' learning needs. This means that some pupils do not secure the key knowledge required to move forward successfully with their learning. Some pupils are not supported to apply their learning as independently as they are capable of doing. The school should ensure that all teachers adapt learning for all pupils effectively.
• Learning tasks are sometimes designed in a way that focuses on factual recall over the application of knowledge in some subjects. Some resources inhibit the amount of writing pupils can produce or organise independently. Consequently, some pupils are not enabled to apply their knowledge in enough depth, particularly in their written work. The curriculum should be consistently implemented in a way that enables deeper application of subject knowledge.

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