Gosforth Junior High Academy

Overview

Gosforth Junior High Academy is described as a “welcoming, friendly and inclusive school” where “strong relationships” create a supportive environment. Pupils feel safe and are “enthusiastic about their learning,” particularly in reading, while maintaining “exceptionally good” behaviour. The school maintains high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring they access an ambitious curriculum.

Strengths

• The curriculum is “sequenced logically,” allowing pupils to “deepen their knowledge over time” and prepare well for future learning.
• Teachers provide “targeted and precise support” for pupils with SEND, enabling them to learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.
• Reading is a clear priority, with a “love of reading” fostered through events and peer support, resulting in pupils enjoying a range of texts.
• Pupils’ behaviour is “exceptionally good,” guided by the ‘PRAISE’ code, with disruption to learning being rare.
• Personal development is well catered for, with pupils learning about “fundamental British values” and developing leadership skills through elected roles.

Areas to improve

• Assessment practices are “not yet consistent across the school,” hindering teachers’ ability to effectively plan for pupils’ future learning.
• Some vulnerable groups of pupils do not attend school regularly enough, causing them to miss important learning and experiences.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”