William Gilpin Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 March 2026

Leaders have not acted quickly enough to stem the decline in the quality of the school's work since the last inspection. This has had a negative impact on pupils' experience. Staffing turbulence has compounded that. On the whole, pupils do not have especially positive attitudes to their learning. They do not achieve as well as they should. This is particularly the case for pupils who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The most able pupils are not challenged enough. Pupils bear the brunt of a curriculum that is not fit for purpose. The focus on teaching the basics is not sharp enough. There is little continuity in learning between one topic and the next in subjects beyond English and mathematics. It is not clear what pupils must understand and remember. Hence, there are gaps in their knowledge and skills. Older pupils holding leadership roles do not really contribute to or make decisions about school life. Wider opportunities are somewhat limited. Pupils value the chance to represent their school at local sporting competitions, but they just wish that there were more ways to develop their skills and talents. The small size of the school means that pupils all know each other. They generally behave well at social times. Pupils understand what it means to be a good friend and play amicably alongside each other. They enjoy making the most of the extensive grounds to run off energy at breaktimes. Pupils are starting to benefit from recent changes. They are, rightly, confident that they can speak to any adult if they are worried about something and they will help them. There have been notable improvements in children's experiences in the early years. A firmer stance on attendance means that pupils have a better understanding of the importance of being in school regularly.

What the school should improve

• Those responsible for governance must urgently build leadership capacity within or by looking beyond the school so that the weaknesses in pupils' education and wellbeing are remedied swiftly and improvements are embedded.
• Those responsible for governance must build their collective knowledge and expertise so that they are able to meet their statutory duties and are better equipped to hold leaders to account for the quality of the school's work.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils' needs are identified precisely and in a timely manner and that staff are suitably skilled to shape and adapt learning activities to meet the needs of pupils in their class.
• Leaders should ensure that a there is a well-sequenced curriculum in all subjects and that staff have the expertise to teach it effectively so that pupils' achievement improves.
• Leaders should ensure that there is a coherent and ambitious programme of personal development which all pupils benefit from so that they are well prepared for their future lives.
• Leaders should work with parents and carers to sustain and build on recent improvements in attendance and punctuality so that pupils are in school regularly and on time and do not miss out on learning without good reason.
• Leaders should ensure that staff have consistently high expectations of pupils' behaviour in class and that they use rewards and consequences appropriately so that pupils' attitudes to their learning improve.
• Leaders should ensure that the new early years curriculum is embedded so that children have the best start possible to their education.

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