Lady Elizabeth Hastings CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school.

Some travel from a distance by school bus and are eager to learn when they arrive. There is a warmth of welcome that is appreciated by pupils and their parents and carers. Staff model commitment, care and resilience in their work.

This encourages every pupil to do the same.

Pupils feel happy and safe at school. They describe how behaviour has improved over the past 18 months.

They know that the school has high expectations for behaviour. There is little or no bullying or name-calling. If it happens, pupils trust adults to deal with it immediately and effectively.

Older pupils enjoy taking on roles of responsibi...lity. Pupils understand the importance of service and duty to others. Not all the roles are glamorous, but all require dedication and commitment.

Year 6 pupils talk about the importance of being Reception buddies. Children in Reception look up to their buddy as a friend and leader.

The school has the highest ambition for every pupil, regardless of ability or background.

Leaders work hard to enrich pupils' education with meaningful experiences. Pupils talk enthusiastically about these experiences, whether it is a visit from an Ancient Greek historian or an after-school disco.

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

Children make a good start to their education in early years.

The school provides many opportunities for children to explore and develop their independence. Adults recognise the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's development. They focus on children's talking and listening, as well as their physical development.

Children enjoy accessing the outdoor area, displaying courage in their climbing and balancing. Adults interact with children well to help develop their understanding.

Leaders prioritise reading from the start.

Well-trained adults teach phonics accurately. Most reading books closely match the sounds that pupils know. Adults provide effective support for pupils who find reading difficult.

This helps them to catch up and keep up.

Mathematics is strong across the school. This is because leaders have been very clear about what is to be taught and how.

This ensures that pupils know more and remember more. For example, in response to thoughtful questioning by their teacher, Year 4 pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), expertly explained their division calculations.

Pupils' subject knowledge is stronger in some subjects than in others.

In physical education (PE), teachers follow plans that are precise about what pupils must know. This ensures that pupils build on what they have already learned. They develop the skills they need to be talented sports players.

In science, it is less clear what pupils need to learn. This makes it hard for teachers to check what pupils understand and to address gaps in pupils' knowledge. It also impacts on leaders' ability to check on the quality and impact of the curriculum.

In such circumstances, pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

The school is ambitious for pupils with SEND. Leaders make sure that individual learning plans are in place and are reviewed regularly.

Leaders work closely with other agencies to support pupils who find school difficult. At times, leaders struggle to secure the external support that pupils need. Despite leaders' best efforts, this can often take longer than expected.

Pupils behave well inside and outside the classroom. There is minimal low-level disruption to lessons. From Reception onwards, pupils have good attitudes towards learning.

They work and play cooperatively with each other. Older pupils talk about how they respect each other regardless of their background. Pupils' attendance is consistently above the national average.

There is minimal persistent absence.

Pupils are taught how to stay safe in the virtual as well as the real world. They know how to protect their identities online and what to do if they are unsure about what they see or hear.

Pupils learn about fundamental British values, such as democracy and freedom of speech. They celebrate cultural and religious diversity, for example by visiting places of worship and learning about the slave trade triangle during a term-long African history project.

Leaders and governors have successfully led the school through a period of change.

They have an accurate picture of what the school does well. They have a clear plan for the continued improvement of the school. The school communicates regularly and often with parents.

Leaders regularly seek the views of parents and pupils when making decisions that may affect the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some areas of the curriculum are less strong than others.

This is because sometimes, subject leaders are not as knowledgeable in their curriculum areas as they need to be. This means that they do not always understand the quality of implementation in their subject. The school should ensure that subject leaders have the training and expertise to monitor the quality and delivery of their subject across the school.

• In some subjects, the school has not agreed what subject content pupils must learn and remember. This means that teachers cannot be sure whether pupils have the knowledge they need for the next piece of learning. The school needs to ensure that teachers understand the most important subject knowledge required in each year group, so that they can identify and address any gaps in pupils' understanding.