Gaskell Community Primary School

Gaskell Community Primary School is a warm, caring primary school where pupils feel happy and safe, behave well and achieve well. Inspectors found the school has taken quick and decisive action since its previous inspection to revise the curriculum, and teaching is now effective across most subjects. Pupils benefit from a well-considered wider offer, strong attendance work and effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This was a graded inspection under the current framework, so no overall effectiveness grade was given, but all key judgements were good. The main areas for improvement are assessment and phonics catch-up. In a few subjects, teachers do not check well enough what pupils know and remember, so gaps are not addressed effectively. Some pupils who struggle with reading do not consistently receive support that helps them catch up quickly enough to become fluent readers by the end of key stage 1. Leadership is strong, staff feel well supported, and the governing body now provides effective challenge and support following significant changes since the last inspection.

Strengths

• Warm, caring ethos with pupils who are polite, respectful and supportive of each other
• Calm and purposeful learning atmosphere with positive pupil attitudes
• High aspirations for all pupils, including those with SEND, who achieve well
• Curriculum has been reviewed and revised quickly, with clear essential knowledge from early years to Year 6
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge and choose activities that build knowledgeable, resilient and confident learners
• Pupils develop a love of reading and read a wide range of texts
• Phonics programme is well organised and staff are well trained
• Behaviour is good, with clear routines taught from Nursery and Reception
• Attendance is strong and persistent absence has declined significantly
• Effective work with agencies to identify and support pupils with SEND
• Personal development curriculum teaches online safety, healthy relationships and respect for diversity
• Staff appreciate high-quality support and feel their well-being and workload are considered
• Parents are pleased with the education their children receive
• Governors know the school well and hold leaders to account effectively
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, teachers do not check pupils' learning well enough to identify and address gaps
• Some pupils do not keep pace with the phonics programme and do not receive support that helps them catch up quickly enough
• Some pupils who struggle to read are not consistently supported to become fluent readers by the end of key stage 1

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Gaskell Community Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.2% of pupils at Gaskell Community Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Gaskell Community Primary School had 21.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 15.9% of pupils at Gaskell Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Gaskell Community Primary School received £7,296 and spent £7,314 for each of its 449 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £131,000 (£293 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is Gaskell Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Gaskell Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Gaskell Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Gaskell Community Primary School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Gaskell Community Primary School have?

Gaskell Community Primary School has 472 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gaskell Community Primary School cover?

Gaskell Community Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Gaskell Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Gaskell Community Primary School?

Gaskell Community Primary School is at Thomas Holden Street, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1 2QG.