Lambourn CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The strong family ethos underpins the shared school values. Pupils rise to leaders' expectations.

Staff and pupils enjoy positive and warm relationships. Older pupils act as peer mentors to ensure that younger children feel happy and included. Pupils relish the opportunities to welcome new pupils to their school.

As a result, pupils feel safe and cherished here.

Pupils are proud to belong to this school. They behave well because they know and understand the effective routines created by leaders.

There is very little bullying. Leaders deal with any unkindness between pupils if required. Behaviour in lessons is particularly strong.

As a result..., children in Nursery and Reception quickly learn how to behave well. Older pupils articulate their deep understanding of the curriculum, for example by linking complex concepts recently learned in history to the causes and effects of current world events.

Recent changes in the leadership of the school mean that some improvements that leaders have sought to make have not been completed as quickly as they could have been, particularly around safeguarding.

Leaders have not ensured that some important school processes have been applied rigorously enough. Despite this, the culture of safeguarding is vigilant, and pupils receive the support they need.

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

The curriculum is ambitious overall.

Children get off to a good start in early years. Here, the curriculum is deliberately designed by leaders to entice children to learn through developing curiosity and resilience. Children learn to read from the start of Nursery.

Expert staff lead regular training so the teaching of phonics is precise. This ensures that the approach staff take is highly consistent. A wide range of books is well matched to the sounds that pupils can read.

Support is available for those who have fallen behind. This helps them to catch up with their peers quickly. Daily story time is valued highly.

As a result, pupils develop fluency and love reading.

Leaders' most recent work to develop the curriculum is effective. Overall, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Most teachers have strong subject knowledge. Where this is the case, they deliver purposeful activities that enable pupils to learn well. However, there are a small number of aspects where leaders' ambitions have yet to be fully realised in practice.

This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Staff check pupils' learning effectively in some subjects. However, sometimes teachers do not take into account what pupils can already do or what they already know fully.

While pupils achieve well overall, this is not as strong yet for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is not always adapted precisely enough for them. Leaders are taking the right action to address these aspects, but this work is at a relatively early stage.

Leaders provide effective care and pastoral support. Trained staff provide support for pupils when required, and all pupils say that they have trusted adults whom they can talk to. Staff work closely with families and get to know them well.

Many pupils attend school regularly and, as a result, benefit from taking a full part in the life of the school. However, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. The strategies that leaders have put in place to improve the attendance of these pupils are not yet fully effective.

Personal development is a strength of the school. The coherent programme of personal, social and health education (PSHE) is age appropriate. This includes teaching children about positive mental health and a strong sense of morality.

Pupils learn valuable lessons about healthy relationships and online safety. They gain important insights into celebrating differences and being tolerant. Through PSHE and collective worship, staff support pupils to respect and celebrate different faiths and beliefs.

There is a wide range of clubs in which pupils can take part. All pupils benefit from swimming lessons in the school swimming pool. Trips and visits play an important role in the life of the school.

The popular Year 6 residential trip offers all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, valuable opportunities to develop their independence. Pupils have a deep understanding of what it means to grow up in modern Britain. The active school council promotes sustainability and recently engaged with the local waste management company to improve its recycling services.

Despite the challenges the school has faced, staff morale is high. Leaders, including trust leaders and governors, are fully committed to improving the school. Staff appreciate the support they receive and leaders' focus on their continuing professional development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff work effectively to keep pupils safe. They understand the risks and challenges of the local area and receive regular safeguarding training.

They know the signs to look out for that may indicate a potential cause for concern. Leaders work with local external agencies to secure appropriate help and support for children and their families when necessary.

However, leaders have not ensured that the school's policy and processes are followed fully.

Leaders' systems for maintaining and monitoring safeguarding records are not sharp enough. For example, while information is stored securely, it is in a number of different places. In the past, when shortcomings have been pointed out, leaders have not rectified the concerns raised swiftly enough.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not maintained robust approaches to recording and monitoring information about safeguarding. Processes are not as sharp as they should be. Leaders need to ensure that agreed policies and procedures for safeguarding are always followed closely and consistently.

• Leaders' actions to improve the attendance of a small proportion of pupils are not having enough impact. This means that some pupils are missing important learning in school too regularly. Leaders need to review and refine the systems for improving attendance to ensure that these pupils attend school regularly.