Lapford Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Lapford school is inclusive and caring. Staff know the individual needs of all children. There is a strong commitment to support pupils' emotional needs.

Pupils know they can talk to any adult if they have a concern. This means pupils feel safe.

The school and the trust are committed to improving the quality of education for pupils.

However, pupils do not currently achieve as well as they should.

There is a sense of community at the school. Pupils become 'community champions' and participate in community projects, such as litter picking and volunteering.

Pupils are polite and respectful to visitors. Most of the time pupils behave well. Howev...er, sometimes there is disruption to learning.

Pupils say bullying happens. When it does occur, leaders have systems to follow up these concerns.

The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop their skills and talents.

They act as digital leaders to support other pupils to develop their own computing skills. Pupil librarians support younger pupils with their reading and the school council help raise money for charity. These roles help pupils reflect the schools' values of compassion, ambition and teamwork.

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

Recent changes to leadership and the curriculum have brought renewed ambition for the pupils of this school. Parents are supportive of the new direction of the school. However, the trust is aware that there is more to do to improve pupils' outcomes.

In early reading, the trust has put in place a new phonics scheme. The phonics curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Children learn to read as soon as they start school.

However, the school and the trust have not trained all staff to teach phonics and early reading effectively. As a result, pupils who struggle the most with reading do not catch up quickly.

The trust has designed a curriculum that begins in the early years and continues to year 6.

The curriculum is well sequenced to build knowledge over time. In history, pupils learn about their local area. They enjoy wider experiences that help their understanding of the war, such as being evacuated to the local village hall.

In mathematics, pupils learn important concepts that build on their previous learning. The curriculum is well matched to their knowledge and understanding. However, in other areas of the curriculum this is not always the case.

In some subjects, teachers in key stage 1 and 2 do not assess pupils' understanding effectively. As a result, the curriculum is not adapted to build on what pupils already know. This means that pupils develop gaps in their knowledge.

Furthermore, not all staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve in class. As a result, the quality of pupils' work is weaker in some subjects.

Children in the early years get off to a strong start.

They follow an ambitious curriculum. Teachers reflect and adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of the children. Activities are well thought through and match children's interests.

Teachers are skilled at identifying children's next steps to ensure they achieve well. The school has prioritised the development of children's communication and language. This means teachers model new vocabulary that builds on words pupil already know.

Children also learn traditional songs and nursery rhymes. The environment is calm and children learn through purposeful play.

The school is ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils with SEND and their families have welcomed the recent changes to the SEND provision. Learning reflects individualised detailed plans to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. As a result, adaptations in the curriculum ensure pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers.

The quality of provision for pupils' personal development is variable. Pupils understand the importance of treating those with different beliefs equally. They are respectful of difference.

Pupils learn about healthy and unhealthy relationships. The school ensures that the curriculum for personal development reflects any issues that pupils may be experiencing in the local community. Pupils also know how to keep themselves safe online.

However, pupils do not fully understand important content, such as democracy. Pupils do not have a secure understanding of fundamental British values.

Staff are very proud to work at this school.

Teachers, including those at the early stages of their career, say the trust consider their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The trust has not made sure that all staff have the necessary expertise to deliver the reading curriculum, including the phonics programme, well.

This means that many pupils do not catch up with reading quickly enough. The trust should make sure that pupils who struggle the most with reading receive appropriate support from suitably trained staff to catch up quickly. ? Staff do not have consistently high expectations of pupils' attitudes to learning.

Sometimes, there is disruption to learning. Consequently, some pupils do not produce high-quality work. The trust must ensure all staff have high ambitions, so that all pupils can produce high-quality work and achieve well across the curriculum.

• In some subjects, teachers do not assess or use assessment information effectively. This means pupils do not build on prior learning. The trust needs to support teachers to use assessment information to adapt the curriculum effectively, so pupils know and remember essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary.

• Pupils do not have a full understanding of fundamental British values. This means that they are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain. The trust should ensure that they further develop pupils' understanding of British values and that pupils have a clear understanding of what this means in their lives.