Lane End Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Lane End Primary School enjoy learning. Staff encourage pupils to be like the school's 'Super Learning Heroes': Responsible Reggie, Independent Iqra, Reflective Ralph, Collaborative Cara, Thoughtful Theo and Resourceful Ria. Pupils enjoy wearing coloured lanyards with pride when they demonstrate these positive learning characteristics.

A warm and welcoming atmosphere permeates the school, and staff are approachable, helpful and compassionate. They teach pupils to think about the impact of their behaviours through the school's restorative approach to behaviour management. If pupils are unkind to others, staff ask them to reflect on how their behaviour has made others ...feel.

This helps to make everyone feel happy and safe.

Pupils generally behave well, both in lessons and at breaktimes. They are kind and considerate.

Bullying rarely happens. If it does, teachers deal with it straight away.

Pupils benefit from an exciting range of extra-curricular activities, including football, loom band and Lego club.

They enjoy making a positive contribution to the life of the school and do so as members of the diversity group, or as a restorative practice representative. These groups add to the school's caring and friendly atmosphere by encouraging and supporting friendships.

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

Leaders have created an ambitious and interesting curriculum.

As part of the curriculum development process, leaders have made sure that the curriculum includes links to pupils' interests and cultural backgrounds. They have taken the time to ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of pupils.

Leaders have developed clear and precise curriculum plans in reading and mathematics.

Teachers carefully refine these plans to teach lessons that meet the needs of pupils. Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well and that, wherever possible, they learn the same curriculum as other pupils.

In reading and mathematics, teachers use assessment well to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge and to plan lessons that build on what pupils already know.

However, in other areas of the curriculum, like history and design and technology, leaders have been less specific about the knowledge that they want pupils to acquire. This leads to teachers' assessments and follow-up teaching being less precise. As a result, pupils cannot always remember knowledge that they have been previously taught.

From the moment children start school, they are immersed in an exciting and engaging curriculum. In Nursery, staff introduce children to early mathematics through games where children listen, sing and count. This helps children to grasp early mathematical knowledge in enjoyable ways.

Committed staff take every opportunity to make learning fun and purposeful.

Leaders have a relentless focus on teaching pupils to read. Teachers plan phonics lessons using the agreed programme and ensure that books are well matched to the sounds that pupils know.

As a result, pupils learn to read quickly. Agile interventions are used to support any pupils who begin to fall behind. Leaders recognise that there is still some work to do to ensure that staff always pronounce pure sounds correctly and blend words efficiently when delivering the curriculum.

Aspirational leaders encourage all pupils, including those with SEND, to read regularly. Pupils talk confidently and enthusiastically about the books and authors they enjoy. Leaders give pupils the opportunity to choose inspiring and interesting fiction and non-fiction texts.

Pupils enjoy learning about different faiths and beliefs, particularly the faiths and beliefs of other pupils in the school. Pupils appreciate that people can choose to live their lives how they wish and that this should be respected. In school, character values such as collaboration and reflection are taught, encouraged and celebrated.

Governors know the school well. They provide challenge and support to leaders to ensure that they are held to account. Leaders at all levels engage well with staff.

They provide regular training and consider staff well-being and workload. Staff say that they are proud and happy to work at Lane End Primary.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders ensure that the welfare and safety of pupils are a top priority. Pupils make good use of the 'Let it out, Let it go' boxes in school.

They know that they can talk to a trusted adult about any worries, if necessary. Safeguarding leaders meet regularly and act swiftly when they spot concerns about pupils' welfare. Staff receive regular training, and they understand their responsibilities.

Where necessary, leaders work well with external support services, providing appropriate challenge when needed. Leaders maintain thorough safeguarding records.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff are not sufficiently trained to ensure that the delivery of the phonics programme is of a consistently high standard.

As a result, staff sometimes pronounce sounds incorrectly. This prevents pupils building a secure, accurate knowledge of letter sounds. Leaders should ensure that all staff are fully trained so they can deliver a precise, accurate phonics programme.

• In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is not well structured and organised. Pupils sometimes get overloaded with too much information and then do not remember key knowledge. Leaders should review these subjects to ensure that curriculum content is precisely organised, with core knowledge prioritised.