Lanchester Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Despite considerable turbulence in leadership, the determined principal has successfully focused on ensuring the quality of education at Lanchester Community Free School is good.

The principal is ably supported by the senior and middle leaders. All leaders share the principal's ambition for pupils. They make a strong contribution to the good and improving picture of teaching and, consequently, pupils' outcomes.

Senior leaders and governors receive clear strategic guidance from the West Herts School Trust (WHST). Additionally, leaders have benefited from effective support provided by the local authority. Senior leaders and governors have a... good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the school.

They have secure plans in place to address remaining issues. Staff work well as a team and are motivated to make the school the best that it can be. Teaching is good as a result of well-considered training, high expectations and rigorous performance management.

Leaders and governors have ensured that the curriculum is well planned, with a rich variety of creative activities and memorable experiences that effectively prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. Teachers generally plan activities that are suited well to pupils' next steps in their learning.

Pupils' behaviour is good. They are friendly and well mannered. Pupils say that they enjoy school.

They work hard and are keen to learn. Parents are very positive about the school. They agree that their children receive a good standard of education and are well cared for.

Governors are committed and well equipped to provide strong support to leaders. They challenge leaders effectively about many aspects of the school's performance. However, they do not yet do so with sufficient rigour in relation to the quality of teaching and pupils' outcomes across subjects other than English and mathematics.

Pupils in key stage 1 do not apply their knowledge of phonics and grammar consistently in their writing in all subjects. Consequently, the standard of their writing varies across the curriculum. The early years provides well for children's needs and they make good progress.

However, the learning environment is not yet fully developed to enable children to be consistently purposefully engaged when they are not working with an adult.

Information about this school

Lanchester Community Free School opened in September 2014 with children in the Reception classes only. Pupils have now moved up through the school into key stage 2.

In September 2019, the school's first cohort of pupils will move into Year 5. The full complement of pupils through to Year 6 will be complete by 2020. Since the school opened, pupil and staff numbers have been growing.

The school is currently smaller than the average-sized primary school although its capacity is larger. Pupils come from a diverse range of educational experiences and backgrounds. The school is part of the West Herts Schools Trust.

The trust delegates aspects of governance to the local governing body. The board of trustees is the accountable body. The proportion of pupils whose first language is not believed to be English is well above the national average.

The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the government's pupil premium funding is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is broadly in line with the national average. The proportion who have an education, health and care plan is below the national average.

The current principal joined the school in April 2018. He is a local leader of education and provides a range of school-to-school support including coaching and mentoring for other headteachers. Since the previous inspection, there have been several changes to the senior and middle leadership teams.

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