This is a school where the aim, as described by the school’s motto, is one of ‘Feeding minds, touching hearts’. Leaders want pupils to learn well in a school that is friendly, loving and safe. Leaders are achieving these goals. Gunthorpe is a happy school. Pupils missed their friends and teachers during the periods of COVID-19-related lockdown. They are delighted to be working and playing together once more. Pupils are kind to one another. Arguments, let alone bullying, are rare. If there are disagreements, adults sort these out quickly. Right from the early years, pupils are keen to learn. They listen closely to their teachers and try their best when set tasks. Pupils love talking about their work and sharing their achievements. Older pupils enjoy reciting poems that they have learned by heart. Pupils leave Gunthorpe ready to succeed at their next schools. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They say that staff went above and beyond to help their children during the lockdowns. One written comment was typical: ‘The teachers and head were brilliant. Very accessible, supportive and truly interested in what pupils had achieved when learning at home. This is a fantastic school which has the interests of all pupils at heart.’ What does the school do well and what does it need to do better? Leaders, staff and governors are ambitious for all pupils to succeed. They have put in place a curriculum that meets the pupils’ thirst for knowledge. In most subjects, it is clear what pupils will learn and should remember. Pupils build up knowledge and skills, step by step, as they move through the school. This helps pupils to achieve well. Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Teaching develops reading skills across the range of subjects. Children in Reception start learning phonics in their first week. Adults teach phonics well. They keep a close eye on how each pupil is getting on. They give extra teaching to pupils at risk of falling behind. This extra help does not stop at the end of Year 2. In key stage 2, regular reading to adults helps less confident readers become fluent readers. Pupils love the books they read as a whole class. They are thoughtful readers. Older pupils spoke with insight about a book that tells the story of a Jewish child during the Second World War. In most subjects, teachers are clear about how their teaching builds on what pupils have learned before. Teachers connect new learning with earlier work. They check carefully on how well pupils are achieving. This enables them to spot any problems, give pupils extra help and decide if they need to make changes to the curriculum. When this happens, for example in subjects such as mathematics and science, pupils deepen their knowledge and achieve well. This is not the case in all subjects, however. In French, music and design technology, for example, what pupils should learn and remember is not so clear. Pupils struggle to recall earlier learning in these subjects. Checks on how well pupils are achieving are not in place. Pupils do not achieve as well in these subjects. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully involved in school life. Teachers adapt the curriculum to meet their needs. However, so far this term, leaders have not checked on the difference the extra help for pupils with SEND is making to their learning. The school’s Christian ethos supports pupils’ personal development. Leaders ensure that the curriculum extends far beyond the academic. The curriculum includes experiences and activities that inspire pupils and raise their aspirations. Pupils have many opportunities to learn about different cultures and societies. Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel valued. Governors and trust representatives are knowledgeable. They are supportive of leaders and staff. Their actions are always focused on making things better for the pupils at Gunthorpe.