Frances Olive Anderson Church of England (Aided) Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Frances Olive Anderson Church of England (Aided) Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe at this inclusive school. Pupils know they are well cared for by staff. Relationships are warm and trusting.

As a result, pupils attend and behave well. They are welcoming and courteous to everyone, including visitors. Pupils take care of the school's new rabbits, Frances and Olive, who they say have a calming influence.

The large majority of parents and carers are highly supportive of the school. One captured the views of many when they said: 'staff have children's best interests at heart and care about their over...all development as well as their educational progress.'

The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well.

The school organises many trips and visits, making the most of local places of interest, such as Lincoln Cathedral. Pupils gain a rich understanding of the cultural similarities and differences for children living in Lebanon, for example. Pupils are highly respectful of people from backgrounds different to their own.

Most pupils achieve well. Pupils strive to live up to the high expectations staff have of them. They are keen to do well.

Classrooms are inviting, busy and purposeful. Sometimes, however, the depth and quality of pupils' written work can be variable.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Strong and reflective leadership, including subject leadership, lies at the heart of the school's ambitious and inclusive curriculum for all pupils.

Leaders, including governors, have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for development. Staff morale is united. They describe the ethos of the school as being 'like family'.

The school's outward looking culture promotes a strong sense of belonging, upholding the school's Christian values.

Staff are committed to pupils' success. Recently, the school has reviewed its curriculum.

The school has ensured that the curriculum builds from the early years to the end of Year 6 and beyond. Staff have clarity about what is taught and when.

Staff promote a love of reading throughout the school.

Pupils are enthusiastic about reading. In story time, pupils enjoy anticipating what might happen next. Most pupils say they enjoy reading at home.

Pupils like visiting the school's well-stocked library. Class 'super six' stories and library texts are well chosen to reflect life in modern Britain, influencing pupils' respectful attitudes and future aspirations.

The teaching of early reading is strong.

Children learn to read from the start of Reception. Pupils' reading books are well matched to the sounds they are learning. Staff make frequent checks to ensure that pupils have secured the skills they need to read well.

Pupils who need extra help and support receive this without delay. As a result, all pupils achieve well on the school's phonics programme.

Teachers have good subject knowledge.

They use this to plan interesting learning activities that invite pupils' engagement. Staff are particularly effective in helping pupils to recall and memorise important knowledge. Teachers question pupils effectively.

Pupils routinely have time to share important information and ideas with their 'learning partners' as well as with the whole class. In mathematics, for example, pupils demonstrate their ability to recall multiplication tables and specific mathematical vocabulary well.

Pupils typically present their work well.

Class books are well organised. However, sometimes, pupils do not include as much detail in their written work as they might. Sometimes errors in spelling are repeated and not picked up quickly enough.

Nevertheless, most pupils achieve well by the end of each key stage.

The school has strong oversight of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND are well supported by teachers and supporting adults alike.

When needed, these pupils use the specialised resources they need to help them focus and learn the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND are fully included in the life of the school.

Children make a very positive start in the early years.

They are well prepared for Year 1. Learning spaces are well organised. Children typically enjoy high-quality interactions with adults.

Children learn social skills quickly, such as taking turns, talking to others and sharing resources.

The school takes pupils' personal development seriously. The school's curriculum for personal, social, health and economic development (PSHE) is well considered.

Pupils benefit from guest visitors who speak to them regularly about issues such as respectful relationships and substance misuse, for example. During assembly, pupils routinely discuss contemporary issues and news items as a whole school. The school's approach strongly promotes pupils' ability to discuss and debate topics that are of relevance to them.

Most pupils participate in a good range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils say they would like more of these.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff expectations about the quality and depth of pupils' written work are not consistently high. Sometimes, pupils do not confidently apply all the knowledge they have gained as well as they might, particularly when writing explanations. Sometimes, errors in pupils' spelling are repeated and not remedied as swiftly as they could be.

Consequently, some pupils do not communicate their ideas or their full understanding as confidently and accurately as they should. The school should ensure that all staff have the skills they need to promote and secure consistently high-quality written work, helping all pupils to achieve as well as they can.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2019.

Also at this postcode