Lamberhurst St Mary’s CofE (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Lamberhurst St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils build positive relationships with staff and with one another in this caring school. Staff greet pupils with a warm welcome at the start of each day.

One parent expressed the views of many, when they said, 'Teachers are kind, nurturing and helpful.' Pupils delight in spending time with one another when at play. They enjoy the variety of activities offered at playtime.

Pupils are happy and feel safe. Older pupils take on the role of 'buddies' and show a genuine care for younger pupils. Pupils are courteous when moving around the school....

For example, pupils hold doors open for adults and make visitors feel welcome with their warm greetings. When bullying happens, leaders are swift to act. Pupils use the school's 'three tells' approach to articulate when they do not like the behaviour of others.

This empowers pupils to respond to unwanted behaviour positively.

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. Pupils experience a wide range of opportunities to explore their thinking and develop their interests.

For example, pupils in key stage 2 learn Latin and younger pupils learn French.

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

There is a culture of high ambition for all pupils. Leaders provide a curriculum that is relevant and interesting, and subject leaders have created clear routes through so that teachers can see how to shape their learning activities.

This ensures that pupils develop their knowledge and skills well. Teachers use regular checks to ensure that they have a clear understanding of what pupils know and remember. They use this information to plan future lessons, which build on what pupils have already learned.

Teachers use helpful questioning to encourage pupils to reflect on what they have learned previously. This helps pupils to develop their thinking and join up their learning. Children in the early years learn through a range of relevant and engaging activities.

In subjects such as art and design and science, leaders ensure that pupils learn a good balance of the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. However, in subjects such as geography and design and technology, while pupils develop skills well, they have fewer opportunities to develop subject-specific knowledge.

Leaders evaluate carefully how well pupils learn the curriculum.

Governors review the actions of leaders and make sure they address any improvements that are needed. This helps leaders to strengthen the delivery of the curriculum and supports teachers to manage their workload. As a result, teachers feel valued and make effective use of their time in class.

Teachers deliver the curriculum well. Leaders provide effective training for teachers to help them develop their knowledge. Most recently, leaders have worked with teachers to refine the approach to teaching mathematics.

As a result, pupils develop their mathematical knowledge and understanding well. Teachers provide pupils with opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge across subjects. Teachers identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately.

They make helpful adaptations that ensure pupils with SEND receive the support needed to learn alongside their peers.

Pupils develop their phonic knowledge well. Staff teach phonics consistently and effectively.

Children in the early years quickly learn to recognise the sounds needed to begin to read. As pupils move through key stage 1, they read unfamiliar words with increasing confidence and accuracy. Staff provide effective support for pupils who have fallen behind with their reading.

As a result, most pupils who have fallen behind catch up quickly. However, there is some inconsistency in the approach to teaching reading at key stage 2. This means that a few pupils do not learn to read as well as they could.

Teachers set clear expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They show respect for and understanding of each other.

They benefit from a variety of opportunities that enhance what they learn in class, and join in with these with enthusiasm. They also enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. Teachers encourage pupils to learn about life in modern Britain.

Pupils are proud of the school's values, and teachers help pupils to use them to guide their thinking. Leaders ensure clubs and activities are accessible for pupils with SEND and for disadvantaged pupils. Pupils learn a range of instruments, such as guitar, keyboard and drums.

They experience curriculum visits and learn from visitors to the school. For example, pupils visit the local church and have visited an observatory and a working farm. These opportunities help pupils to deepen their cultural understanding.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff and governors are knowledgeable about safeguarding. They receive detailed training and regular updates that help them to identify when a pupil may be at risk of harm.

Leaders act swiftly to address concerns that are raised. They draw on support from outside agencies to make sure that pupils and their families receive the help they need.

Pupils know how to stay safe.

They learn about staying safe online through the computing curriculum and learn from visiting speakers. If pupils have a worry, they are confident that they can speak to a trusted adult in school who will help.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not sequenced the key stage 2 reading curriculum in enough detail.

This means that there is some inconsistency in the teaching of reading. Leaders need to provide teachers with a clearly sequenced approach to teaching reading in order to ensure all pupils learn to read confidently and with fluency and comprehension. ? In some subjects, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge that pupils need to learn.

This means that pupils do not develop a broad enough body of knowledge across the curriculum. Leaders need to review the curriculum content to identify the substantive knowledge that pupils must learn in all subjects.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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2013.