Kirton Lindsey Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Kirton Lindsey Primary School is a warm and welcoming place. Pupils are happy, confident and enjoy school.

They feel safe. Leaders have high aspirations for pupils to achieve well. However, these ambitions are not being realised.

The school has experienced significant turbulence in staffing. This has slowed the development of some areas of the school's work. Governors have built a settled and cohesive team, which includes a new headteacher.

Leaders have identified the changes that are needed to improve the curriculum. They have prioritised reading, writing, mathematics and science. Reading and science are further along in the journey.

In other subjec...ts, such as mathematics and art, improvements are still in the early stages of development. In these subjects, teachers are not yet able to teach consistently and effectively.

Pupil behaviour is good.

Pupils enjoy receiving the raffle ticket rewards. This motivates then to make the right choices. Pupils work hard in lessons and take pride in their work.

Leaders are working hard to make improvements to the school. Despite recent improvements, some parents raised concerns about communication with school staff. This hampers how well parents, particularly those of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can support their children.

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

Leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils to achieve well. The new headteacher knows what needs to be done to improve the school.

Reading is prioritised.

There is a focus on developing pupils' love of reading. Leaders have invested in new and engaging books. Pupils enjoy reading these books.

Staff have received appropriate training to deliver the phonics programme successfully. However, for some pupils who struggle to read, this programme does not help them as well as it could. These pupils access catch-up sessions or interventions.

These sessions do not support pupils effectively to overcome what they find hardest. This includes pupils with SEND.

Subject leaders have accessed support from local authority network meetings.

They have developed a curriculum that is clearly mapped out. However, in some subjects, such as art and design, teachers have not received the training needed to develop their subject knowledge. In these subjects, teachers do not design lessons that help pupils to learn and remember the content identified in the curriculum.

Subject leadership is at the early stages of development. Teachers check what the pupils learn and remember across the curriculum. Leaders are not yet using this information to evaluate the impact of the curriculum or identify next steps.

In some subjects, such as mathematics, leaders encourage teachers to make changes to the curriculum to address the gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders are not aware of the impact of these adjustments. In some cases, these alterations prevent pupils from learning as much as they could.

Staff identify pupils with SEND early. Leaders engage with outside agencies so that these pupils receive support. Pupils with SEND access the same learning as their peers.

However, some parents are unhappy with the information that leaders provide about the support that pupils with SEND receive.

Leaders work with outside agencies to support the teaching of personal, social and health education. Teachers follow a curriculum that is progressive and detailed.

However, teaching does not support pupils' understanding of British values, different faiths and accepting differences. As a result, some pupils do not understand and appreciate the difference in the world and its people.

Children in the early years get off to a good start in their education.

Adults interact with children well. However, the curriculum is not as well sequenced as it could be. Leaders have not focused on making sure that learning in the early years is closely linked to starting points in Year 1.

Children receive personalised learning through challenges in the environment. These are effective and support the children to engage and extend learning when working independently.

All pupils feel comfortable going to a member of staff if they have a worry or concern.

Pupils state that bullying does happen, but they always tell an adult. Breaktimes are calm and organised. Pupils respect and cooperate with each other.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the support they receive from leaders for their well-being and to fulfil their responsibilities. All staff receive regular training on developing safeguarding knowledge and practice.

Governance is a strength. Governors provide support and challenge to leaders. This is having a clear impact.

Their actions and commitment are improving the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have regular training in safeguarding procedures.

They know how to identify risks and report concerns. Leaders keep records so that they can monitor pupils whom they are concerned about.

Teachers help pupils understand how to keep themselves safe, including when working online.

Pupils feel safe in school.

Governors check that the school's safeguarding procedures are effective. Governors and leaders ensure that staff carry out required checks on people who are working at the school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils who struggle to read, including pupils with SEND, are not catching up as quickly as they could. Additional support for these pupils is not closely matched to the gaps in their reading knowledge. Leaders need to ensure that interventions closely match the needs of the pupils so that they catch up as quickly as they can.

• Subject leaders are not yet accurately checking the implementation of the newly developed curriculum. As a result, there is some variability in teaching, including in mathematics, and art and design. Leaders need to ensure that systems for checking the implementation of new curriculums are embedded and that new curriculums are well taught.

• Some pupils are not prepared for life in modern Britain. Teaching does not support pupils to develop an understanding of equality and different faiths. Leaders should ensure that lessons support pupils in understanding and celebrating differences.

• Some parents are not always able to speak to leaders when they have concerns or questions. This is preventing some parents from supporting pupils' learning, including pupils with SEND. Leaders need to ensure that they engage and communicate with parents so that pupils can learn as much as they can, as quickly as they can.

Also at this postcode