Lakeside Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they enjoy attending this school.

They say that staff take good care of them and help them to learn. Leaders expect pupils to develop respectful relationships, to stay safe and to be kind. Pupils know how this helps them to learn and to get on with each other.

Pupils appreciate the recent changes to the school's behaviour policy. They enjoy earning points and certificates for positive behaviour. They value the in-class rewards, including prizes and getting free time on their personal tablet.

They understand the consequences of poor behaviour. However, pupils report that poor behaviour, although improving, sometimes interrupts their learning. T...hey recognise that some pupils need different kinds of help to behave.

Pupils know what bullying is and the different forms that it can take. They say that adults deal with any bullying when it occurs. They know whom to turn to if they have a worry or concern.

Pupils enjoy the extra-curricular sporting activities that are on offer. They say that they make good use of these.

Despite some recent improvements, pupils are not in a receipt of a curriculum that is enabling them to access a good quality of education.

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

Leaders have prioritised reading. The school's phonics programme is well planned and sequenced. It makes clear which sounds pupils should know, week by week.

Staff have been trained to deliver the programme. They teach it consistently well. Any pupils who begin to fall behind receive extra help the same day.

The phonics leader regularly checks to make sure that the programme is working as it should. Beyond phonics, pupils study a range of texts and genres over time. Pupils know how reading lessons help them to read more challenging texts and to improve their knowledge of vocabulary.

The school is in the process of adopting a new curriculum. A carefully sequenced 'road map' sets out how and when subjects will be updated and implemented. Some subjects are fully planned and sequenced and are being taught.

Others are transitioning from the old curriculum to the new. In these subjects, the curriculum does not build incrementally on what pupils know and can do. As a result, pupils' recall of curriculum content is inconsistent.

This means that pupils have some gaps in their knowledge.

Plans are in place to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These plans are in different formats, including SEND plans, behaviour plans and risk assessments.

However, some of these are disjointed. They do not accurately identify the full range of help and support that pupils with SEND need.The recently revised behaviour policy has started to be implemented and is beginning to improve the standard of pupils' behaviour.

However, there are still occasions where poor behaviour disrupts learning. Leaders record, evaluate and act upon such incidents. However, they do not record and evaluate early enough the lower level of poor behaviour.

This means that they cannot identify and address any emerging patterns in behaviour quickly enough.

Children in the early years enjoy the activities that are provided. Children are well cared for.

Achievements are recognised and celebrated. In the Reception Year, the curriculum sets out what children are expected to achieve term by term. It builds incrementally on what children have learned before.

However, the Nursery curriculum is not as detailed. It does not make clear the interim milestones that children should reach, across each of the areas of learning.

The school's personal development offer is underpinned by a well-planned and sequenced programme for personal, social and health education (PSHE).

There are activities to cater for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development. However, these are not strategically planned and delivered. This means that leaders cannot be sure that the school's SMSC offer is working as well as it should.

The multi-academy trust has an accurate view of the school's effectiveness. It has taken decisive action in order to address weaknesses. Recent changes in senior leadership have resulted in increased capacity for improvement.

The leaders are ambitious. They know what needs to be done to bring around improvements. They have already begun to have a positive impact.

However, over time, leaders have not been systematic in identifying weaknesses and addressing them strategically. They have not used the full range of information available to them to drive improvements.

The school has strategies in place to engage with parents and carers.

These include regular forums, workshops and opportunities to meet informally with staff and leaders. However, take-up is low. The school does not engage parents as partners in their child's education as well as it could.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders take the actions needed to keep pupils safe. Concerns are dealt with swiftly.

Safeguarding records are detailed. However, in a small number of cases, the follow-up actions that are taken to keep pupils safe are not consistently recorded.

Leaders carry out the checks that they should on adults who work with pupils.

These checks are thorough and well documented. Leaders act quickly and decisively to address any concerns that are raised about adults who work in the school.

Pupils are taught how to stay safe.

They know whom to speak to if they have a worry or concern.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school is in the process of adopting a new curriculum. Different subjects are at different stages of completion.

Pupils have not consistently learned and remembered the full breadth of the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is consistently planned, sequenced and implemented and that it results in pupils learning and remembering the intended content over time. ? Plans for pupils with SEND are disjointed.

In some cases, they do not accurately identify the full range of help and support that pupils need. As a result, some of the help that should be in place for these pupils is not provided. Leaders should ensure that plans for pupils with SEND are concise and accurately identify the full range of support that should be in place.

• Leaders do not record and evaluate incidents of low-level and poor behaviours. This means that they cannot identify and address any patterns at an early enough stage. Leaders should ensure that they track and monitor early incidents of poor behaviour so that they can address emerging patterns or issues sooner.

• In a small number of cases, the follow-up actions that are taken to keep pupils safe are not consistently recorded. Leaders should ensure that all safeguarding records, including follow-up actions, are recorded in sufficient detail. ? Leaders do not have a fully rounded picture of how pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development is catered for.

This means that they cannot be sure that the school's offer is comprehensive. Leaders should ensure that they have a fully rounded understanding of how the school promotes pupils' SMSC development. ? The school has strategies in place to engage with parents and carers.

However, take-up is low. This means that the academy does not engage parents as partners in their child's education as well as it should. Leaders should ensure that the school has effective strategies in place to secure the support and engagement of the parent population.