High Lawn Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend High Lawn Primary school. They are keen to learn new things.

They are polite and well mannered. Pupils talk eagerly about the things which make High Lawn a special place to be. For example, how much they care for each other and show an understanding of pupils' different needs.

In lessons particularly, pupils behave well. They concentrate on their learning and produce high-quality work. Pupils understand and embody the school's ten values.

Pupils trust staff to look after them and help them if they have any worries.

The school considers pupils' wider development very well. Pupils are keen to join the different committees or ...to take on leadership roles.

For example, they offer to join the eco-committee or apply to become head boy or head girl. Visits and visitors into school enhance the curriculum further for pupils. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and / or disabilities (SEND) take part in many sporting opportunities.

This includes pupils who want to improve their ability in different sports or to experience competitive games.

Across many areas of the curriculum, the school has high expectations for pupils. From the early years, pupils study a broad and balanced curriculum.

In many areas of the curriculum, pupils achieve well. They are prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

The school has set out an ambitious curriculum for pupils.

Learning to read is one of the school's top priorities. Starting in the two-year-old provision, children begin to learn rhymes, poems and songs. Staff share many books with pupils to develop their vocabulary and understanding of stories.

The school introduces the school's phonics approach at the correct point for pupils. Staff deliver the programme consistently and confidently. They make regular checks to identify any pupils who may need some more help.

This effective support helps pupils catch up with their peers. Typically, pupils become confident, fluent readers.

The school focuses on wider aspects of reading.

Pupils use the well-presented library to select a variety of books covering different genres, poems and plays. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about reading and recommend authors to each other.

Typically, the school has set out a clear, well sequenced curriculum.

It has identified the knowledge that it wishes pupils to learn. In most subjects, teachers deliver the curriculum confidently. They make regular checks on pupils' learning.

Pupils remember the knowledge they have learned in these subjects. Pupils' achievement in these subjects is strong.

Across the school, there are a few subjects which are still underdeveloped.

This includes aspects of the early years curriculum. In these subjects, the school has not made clear enough the knowledge that pupils need to learn. Within different topics, the key knowledge is not sequenced well enough for pupils.

Teachers are unsure about what pupils need to learn and when. As a result, they do not deliver these subjects as well as others. Pupils are not able to remember as much of their prior learning.

This does affect how well pupils achieve in these subjects.

Before children start school, teachers make every effort to get to know them. The school works with parents and carers to gather as much information as they can about each child.

This helps children make a confident start in school. Children typically settle into structured routines. Teachers encourage pupils to talk about their learning right from the start.

In many instances, teachers' interactions with pupils develop their understanding of learning and vocabulary. However, on a few occasions, staff miss these opportunities. In part, this is because the early years curriculum in places is not as clear to staff.

They are unsure of the important knowledge and vocabulary that they would like children to develop.

Pupils with SEND are swiftly identified. The school ensures that regular training gives staff the knowledge and skills that they need to meet pupils' needs effectively.

The school liaises with different agencies when required to further support pupils with SEND. Typically, pupils' additional needs are met well in school.

Relationships within school between pupils and staff are highly positive.

The mutual respect that pupils and staff have, creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere in which pupils learn. Pupils have lots of equipment to play with at social times. They use the equipment well, sharing it with their friends and peers alike.

Pupils' wider development ensures that they learn to respect the differences between people. They are very accepting about different religions, faiths and beliefs. Many texts in the library as well as visits to places of worship support pupils' wider understanding.

The school is continually looking for ways to strengthen pupils' aspirations and skills for their future lives. Pupils had recently taken part in a 'lifelong learning week' which has raised their ambition about their potential future career.

Overall, governors understand what the school does well and where it needs to improve.

They use different approaches to hold leaders to account. However, their oversight of some of the wider aspects of the school's curriculum are not as robust. Their checks on pupils' learning are not as thorough as they could be.

This means that they are unsure of how effective the provision for pupils is in some subjects.

Staff are very positive about the school's approach to support their workload and well-being. For example, staff appreciate the consideration the school gives when introducing new policies or ways of working.

They say that this is managed effectively so that such changes do not adversely affect their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, including some aspects of the early years, the school has not broken down what it would like pupils to learn into smaller, logical steps of learning.

This sometimes means that, in these subjects, pupils do not learn new content in a consistent manner. This prevents them from making deep connections to prior learning. The school should further review the design of these subject curriculums to ensure that pupils are helped to make clear connections between different topics.

• A few of the checks that governors carry out do not give them sufficient oversight in some of the subjects which are part of the school's curriculum. This means that they are not able to support or challenge the school as well as they could. The school should continue to develop effective methods so that governors have the information needed to hold the school successfully to account across all subjects.

• On a few occasions, staff do not use their interactions with children as effectively as they could do. This hinders how well some children develop their knowledge and vocabulary. The school should ensure that staff within the early years receive the necessary training required, to use purposeful dialogue with children to enable them to deepen their understanding across all areas of learning.