Ofsted

The school was inspected from 10 to 12 January 2023.

It was judged that Cotham Gardens Primary School (previously known as Colston's Primary School) continues to be  a 'Good'  school. 

You can download the full report by clicking here. 

Here are some of the key findings:

• Pupils are fulsome in their praise of the school. Pupils and parents and carers say that they feel welcome and included. Pupils are tolerant. They enjoy finding out about each other’s cultures, beliefs and values. The school celebrates its diverse character.
• Pupils feel safe. Bullying occurs infrequently. Pupils know that if it happens, staff resolve it quickly. Pupils are considerate towards one another. They behave well around school and in lessons.
• Leaders make sure that reading is a priority. Staff promote a love of reading from early years onwards. Leaders have developed a systematic and sequenced approach to the teaching of early reading. Staff have been well trained in the new reading curriculum. As a result, it is delivered effectively in early years so that children quickly learn to decode words and to build up their fluency.
• Leaders have created a well-structured curriculum to promote pupils’ personal development that meets their needs. Pupils learn about important aspects of growing up. They have an age-appropriate understanding of relationships and their place in the world. Pupils learn about different religions and important values. They enjoy discussing the different faiths that are represented in the pupil population.

Next steps for the school:

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: 

• the curriculum is well sequenced and that effective pedagogy is employed so that pupils learn well.
• assessment is developed and used more effectively to check on the impact of the curriculum.